November 6, 1998

The Rev. William Farge, ’71 brings Japan to his classroom teaching

by Legia Coyi, A’98 Intern in the Office of Public Affairs

Japan was home for almost 20 years to the Rev. William Farge, S.J. After graduating from Loyola, he was sent to Japan to continue his training in becoming a Jesuit. Scholastic training and teaching is one part of the education priests must go through to become a Jesuit, taking about 10 years to complete. Farge spent the last of his eight years of training in Japan and was ordained in 1978.

As an undergraduate at Loyola, he was very interested in learning about foreign languages and cultures. Upon graduation, he requested to be sent to Japan to learn about that country’s culture and language. While in Japan, Farge taught religion and English at Jesuit high schools in Hiroshima and Kobe. He also became fluent in speaking, reading, and writing Japanese.

His interest in Japanese history, literature, and lifestyle kept him in that country for 12 more years. This same interest also led him to return to school and the United States to attain a Ph.D. in Japanese language and literature from Indiana University. Even though he enjoyed living in Japan, Farge wanted to teach at a university in the United States. He also wanted the chance to do more research and delve more deeply into Japanese history, something he could not do so while teaching high school.

Farge returned to Loyola in January of this year and has taught courses in Japanese literature and language to a receptive student body. Farge says he has found the students who take his course are “courageous in trying to be different from everyone else, because it is much easier to learn Spanish or French.”

Farge hopes to work with Benjamin Wren, Ph.D., in the history department to develop an Asian studies minor he hopes will become a reality in the fall of 1999. Loyola already offers 12 to 15 courses in East Asian history, literature, and languages.

When asked to name one thing he has taken with him from his experiences of living abroad for so long, Farge says, “I have learned that the American way of doing things is not the only way.”