Henri Hyvernat © Institute of Christian Oriental Research, The Catholic University of America

Msgr. Henri Hyvernat (1858–1941) was the first member faculty of The Catholic University of America. He was first professor of scripture. His vision and scholarship guided the Department of Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures for 50 years until his death. He established the Institute for Christian Oriental Research and his personal library collection was the foundation for the Semitics/ICOR library.