Saint Michael's College

As a founding member of the College’s administration, responsible for student life, Fr. Labory played a vitally important role as a member of the Society of Saint Edmund in the earliest days of the College. He was born in Paris, France in 1880, and traveled to the United States to study in 1898 at the age of 18. He went on to become ordained with the Society of Saint Edmund in Swanton, Vermont, in 1903. That year, at the invitation of the Bishop of Burlington, he and a small group of Edmundites came to Winooski Park and founded Saint Michael’s College. He served as the College’s first Moderator of Athletics, responsible for creating and supervising the varsity athletics program and overseeing the Athletic Association (the College’s early version of the Student Athlete Advisory Council). Despite a serious lack of knowledge of American sports, he was extremely supportive of the students and their interests, was an enthusiastic learner, and worked very hard to help the students achieve their athletics goals. He can be seen in uniform in many of the College’s early team photos, as often times there weren’t enough players to fill rosters in those days! In addition, he also served Saint Michael’s as an instructor, Residence Life Director, and Director of the College Orchestra and St. Cecilia’s Band.