Dean John Feerick sitting at his desk
Feerick’s parents, both Irish immigrants, encouraged him from an early age to, as he recalled, “get an education and make something of myself.” For a son of the Bronx like Feerick, that meant attending Fordham College, then going on to Fordham Law, where, as editor-in-chief of the Fordham Law Review, he published an article on presidential succession. After President Kennedy’s assassination, the article led to Feerick being asked to help draft the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
With all his illustrious accomplishments, Feerick is still very much rooted in the present—and looking to the future. He meets with Fordham Law students every day, always taking care to send them out into the world a little kinder and wiser. “At my present age, talking with students about their careers, about life, sustains me,” said Feerick. “It gives me great joy that people think I can be useful and constructive.” What he hears in those conversations also gives him hope. “I’m very encouraged by our students’ enthusiasm,” he said. “We’re in very challenging times right now, but it helps to think about how you can contribute and solve problems.”