Walter James Fitzgerald

Walter James Fitzgerald, S.J. (November 17, 1883 – July 19, 1947) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Vicar Apostolic of Alaska from 1945 until his death in 1947. A Jesuit, he also served as President of Gonzaga University from 1921 to 1927 and of Seattle University from 1929 to 1931.

Fitzgerald was born at Peola, in Garfield County, Washington, to Patrick Sarsfield and Johanna Frances (née Kirk) Fitzgerald. He entered the Society of Jesus (more commonly known as the Jesuits) in 1902, and graduated from the normal school in Los Gatos, California, in 1906. He then returned to Washington and served as a professor at Seattle College until 1909, when he enrolled at Gonzaga University in Spokane. He earned his Bachelor of Arts (1910) and Master of Arts (1912) degrees from Gonzaga. From 1912 to 1920, he was a professor at Gonzaga, although his service was interrupted by a period of study at Immaculate Conception College in Montreal, Canada (1915–19) to receive his Doctor of Sacred Theology degree.