Born March 26^th, 1869 in San Francisco, California to a deeply religious family.

After High School and the San Francisco Normal School—from which she graduated in 1887—Regan taught in the San Francisco school system for thirty years. In addition to teaching, she also served as princial and as a member of the Board of Education, which she at times headed.

In a sense, Regan started her second career as she entered her second half-century of life. She was chosen by Archbishop Hanna to represent the Archdiocese of San Francisco at the National Catholic Welfare Council conference that met for three days to create the National Council of Catholic Women. Regan was elected the Second Vice President of the Council and then later appointed Executive Secretary of the NCCW.

May 20^th, 1920, the National Council of Catholic Women passed a resolution to create a National Catholic School of Social Service, which began in November of 1921. Agnes Regan was chosen as the Assistant director of the School, in addition to her maintaining her duties as the Executive Secretary of the National Catholic Welfare Council.

The current dorm, Agnes Regan Hall, as well as the adjacent St. Vincent’s Chapel are part of the legacy of Regan’s residence program for lay women at the original National Catholic School of Social Service.

Furthermore, she played a great leadership role in both the NCCW and the National Catholic School of Social Service. She committed herself to the school’s longevity even when the founders, William Kerby and John Burke died.  She had a strong belief of education regardless of race or sex. In Fact, Dorothy A. Mohler says: “In some ways Agnes Regan was ahead of the times.” (Mohler, 31)

Works Cited:

Mohler, Dorothy A. Agnes Regan as an organizer of the National Council of Catholic Women and the National Catholic School of Social Service.

Author: Trevor Mountcastle

Date: 11 Dec. 2002