Legendary Fr. Hentz, S.J. ’55 Retires after over 50 years at Georgetown

Rev. Otto Hentz, S.J. ’55 grew up in Jenkintown and attended Immaculate Conception. Living near La Salle and Jenkintown High School, Hentz wanted to stay close to his friends. His parents, however, believed that their son should receive a Jesuit education, so Hentz enrolled at the Prep. “Can you imagine if my mother hadn’t told me I was going to the Prep,” Fr. Hentz says with a laugh, “I don’t know where I’d be now.”

At the Prep, Fr. Hentz credits the likes of Rev. Francis Gallagher, S.J., and then-young scholastics (“misters”) Rev. Jack Fitzpatrick, S.J., and Rev. Jim Devereaux, S.J. ’45 for being influential role models over his four years. “By senior year, everyone knew one another. We really loved our Prep years,” Hentz recalls. As was common at the time, Fr. Hentz joined the Jesuits immediately after high school at the age of 17. This entailed a seven-year process, including two years of novitiate, two years studying humanities, and three years studying philosophy, during which time Fr. Hentz also finished his degree in classics. After seven years of studies, Fr. Hentz then taught for three years. “Given that I majored in classics, I figured I’d teach classics at a Jesuit high school, but instead I was sent to Georgetown University to teach philosophy,” he explains. 

When he arrived at Georgetown in 1962 at 24 years old, Fr. Hentz found it easy to connect with the students and became a mentor to many. As a testament to his impact, many of Fr. Hentz’s earliest students still remain in touch; in fact, a group of about 25 of them gather annually with Fr. Hentz – a tradition that has gone on for over 30 years. 

After three years of teaching philosophy, Fr. Hentz went to the University of Chicago to receive his doctorate in theology, before ultimately returning to Georgetown, where he has taught ever since. “It’s been wonderful. Staying in the same place for your whole career has terrific advantages. For years, I have been teaching the kids whose parents I also taught, which has been especially rewarding,” he says. 

Over his long tenure at Georgetown, Fr. Hentz has taught an array of courses, including the freshman-favorite The Problem of God; Christian Theology; Church in the Modern World; and upper-level Systematic Theology. While the field of study has remained the same over the years, there has been a noticeable change in the students. “They are too busy these days,” Fr. Hentz chuckles. “The class makeup has also changed. There have always been high-quality people, but the level of competition is much greater now.”

Georgetown University has also grown over the years. “Geographically, the student body is now far more diverse,” Fr. Hentz says. “When I first got here, if you asked someone where they were from, they would give you an exit on the New Jersey Turnpike. Now students come from all over the country. We have also expanded religiously. Before, the student body used to be about 80% Catholic; now we are at about 45-50%.”

Despite his long tenure at Georgetown, Fr. Hentz never forgot his roots at 17th & Girard, returning as a member of the Prep’s Board of Trustees from 2008-2014.

Fr. Hentz is retiring this month after over 60 years as an educator. “I’m going to miss it very much,” he says. “Dealing with such personable and bright young people has been very fun, but being able to develop their minds and converse with them has been the richest part for me,” he says. 

Fr. Hentz will remain in Washington, D.C. during retirement and is looking forward to tackling a long reading list and continuing to stay in touch with the countless alumni whose lives he has impacted.