May 30, 2025 Vice President for External Relations
P: 617.474.5039
BC HIGH APPOINTS DR. PAUL MANUEL ’77 AS PRINCIPAL
Dr. Manuel brings more than 25 years of experience in Catholic education and leadership
Boston, Mass. (May 30, 2025): Boston College High School is excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Paul Manuel ’77 as the 28th principal in school history.
Dr. Manuel, a current faculty member in Georgetown University's government department and the McCourt School of Public Policy, has the experience, passion for student development, and wisdom required to lead Boston College High School (BC High). He is well-equipped to nurture and transform young men from diverse backgrounds into exceptional, reflective leaders characterized by compassion, spiritual depth, and intellectual rigor. He embodies the profile of the Graduate at Graduation and its five tenets: open to growth, intellectually competent, loving, religious, and committed to doing justice.
Dr. Manuel will officially join BC High on August 1. He will build on the good work of current Principal Adam Lewis, P'28, '30, who is leaving at the end of the 2025 school year.
The appointment of Dr. Manuel reflects the culmination of a thoughtful and thorough search led by BC High leaders, trustees, parents, and community members. With the professional guidance of Mary Gene Clavin of the executive search firm Advancement Incite and direction from Search Committee Chair Tom Wesner ’85 P’17, the Search Committee spent many hours reviewing dozens of CVs and meeting candidates to identify the best fit for BC High. The Committee also heard from parents, faculty, staff, students, and alumni throughout the search process.
“After an extensive nationwide search, we are pleased to welcome Paul back to Morrissey Boulevard,” said BC High President Grace Cotter Regan. “BC High and its students have an experienced leader grounded in our school’s Catholic and Jesuit traditions. Paul is someone who values creativity, courteous dialogue, and mutual respect, and he aspires for an education that both transcends boundaries and prepares students for their future studies and professional careers. I look forward to partnering with Paul, whose deep commitment and shared belief in our vocation to shape young men of strong character will continue to strengthen our mission and the BC High community.”
“Jesuit education shaped me as a student at BC High, where I first learned about the core tenant of cura personalis, or care for the whole person, and it has remained at the core of my career ever since,” said Dr. Paul Manuel. “I believe deeply in the mission of forming young men – not just academically, but spiritually, morally, and socially – to become leaders who serve others with compassion and integrity. Returning to BC High, a community rooted in faith and excellence, is both a privilege and a calling.”
Dr. Manuel’s experience spans more than 25 years at institutions at both the secondary school and higher education levels. Beyond his current role at Georgetown, Dr. Manuel has held numerous leadership positions in Catholic education. He has previously served as head of school at Cambridge Matignon School, director of the leadership experiential program at American University’s School of Public Affairs, founding director of the Institute for Leadership Studies at Mount St. Mary’s University, and co-founder, research director, and executive director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College. Dr. Manuel was also a tenured full professor of politics at both Mount St. Mary’s University and Saint Anselm College, where he also served as the politics department chair for 15 years.
Dr. Manuel is a distinguished scholar, with 12 published books and numerous academic articles focusing on democratic leadership, religion and politics, and Portuguese democratization. His research has been recognized by numerous prestigious organizations, including the Fulbright Foundation. Most recently, his work Voices of the Revolution: Revisiting the Portuguese Revolution of 25 April 1974 — Interviews and Insights has been deemed to be historically significant to understanding the Portuguese revolution.
“Paul’s appointment as our new principal exemplifies the power of a BC High education,” said BC High Board Chair Kevin Powers. “His deep knowledge and understanding of our mission and values will ensure our students continue to be formed not only as scholars, but as young men of faith, conscience, and compassion, and who are prepared to lead and serve in the world.”
A Somerville native, Dr. Manuel received his doctorate in government from Georgetown University, where his scholarly work focused on the politics of Portugal’s transition to democracy. He received a master’s in theological studies from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology at Boston College after completing his graduate and undergraduate studies at Boston University, where he earned degrees in political science and international relations.
Dr. Manuel and his wife, Dr. Anne Marie Cammisa, have two daughters, Maria Teresa (24) and Rosa Caterina (23). Additionally, his two brothers are also BC High graduates: Mark ’75 and David ’79.
More information about Dr. Manuel and his personal and professional achievements, including local, national, and international media appearances on everything from the history of the New Hampshire Presidential Primary, to the 2014 meeting between President Obama and Pope Francis at the Vatican, to the 2020 Presidential Election in the United States, can be found online at https://paulchristophermanuel.com/.
About Boston College High School: Boston College High School is a Jesuit, Catholic, college-preparatory school for young men in grades 7 to 12. Founded in 1863, the school enrolls nearly 1,400 students from 81 zip codes in eastern Massachusetts. For more information, please visit bchigh.edu.
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