William H. (William Henry) Atherton

Born in 1867, William H. Atherton became a Jesuit priest, teacher, and author whose career was closely tied to Montreal. He taught at Loyola College and later wrote extensively about the city's religious, educational, and civic history.

Atherton is remembered for books such as Montreal, 1535-1914 and for his writing on the early history of Loyola College. His work combined scholarship with a strong sense of place, making him a useful guide to the people and institutions that shaped Montreal in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

He died in 1950. For listeners interested in church history, Canadian history, or the story of Montreal's growth, his writing offers a thoughtful period perspective from someone deeply involved in the world he described.