Bishop William Scully
As coadjutor bishop since 1945, I automatically succeeded Bishop Gibbons when he resigned in 1954. I also succeeded him in fostering the Catholic school system, which was soaring due to the baby boom that followed the end of World War II.
Like several other bishops of the Albany Diocese, I was a native of New York City. In that archdiocese, I worked in several parishes and various administrative areas. That background served me well.
I started the Bishop's Fund (later named the Diocesan Development Program and now called the Bishop's Appeal) to support the improvement and expansion of schools. Cardinal McCloskey Memorial High School in Albany; Notre Dame High School for Girls and Bishop Gibbons High for Boys, both in Schenectady; Bishop Scully High in Amsterdam; Bishop Burke High in Gloversville; and St. Patrick's High in Catskill were added. St. John's Academy in Rensselaer and Catholic Central in Troy were expanded.
I also built 13 new parishes and 21 new elementary schools in less than 20 years. In addition, construction occurred in other facilities, such as Villa Mary Immaculate Nursing Home in Albany and Maria College.
As chairman of the New York State Catholic Welfare Committee, I was involved with legislation that affected Christian rights, such as adoption, divorce, Sunday "blue laws," school bus transportation for children in Catholic schools and pornography. I was also active in improving race relations, advocating better housing and working conditions for minorities.
When I died in 1969, I left behind a Church that had expanded with the post-war times, spreading education and parishes into every corner of the Diocese.