Father Jerome Dsouza passed away in his eightieth year having touched life at more points than are' usually possible even to such a richly talented person as he was.
His work in the varied tasks to which he was called has left a permanent impact on contemporary Indian political and constitutional history.
Meant to be professor of English Literature, he was very early in his teaching career called to administrative responsibility as Principal and Rector in two Jesuit colleges successively for fifteen years. He was soon deeply involved in Madras University affairs as elected member of its Syndicate. His talent as a public speaker attracted the attention of C. Rajagopalachari who sponsored his election to the Constituent Assembly where he won the respect and regard of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who exploited, in the best sense of the term, his gifts as orator, master of several languages, as an
educationist of repute and as a person of balanced
judgment uncommitted to partisan politics. Four times he was selected to be member of the Indian Delegation to the United Nations. He served as Nehru's unofficial
ambassador for delicate negotiations with the French Government for the transfer of French Indian territories to Independent India and with the Holy See on Indo-Portuguese problems affecting ecclesiastical appointments in India.
As founder of the Indian Social Institute, he was a pioneer in social education. Elected to be the Jesuit General's first Assistant in charge of Indian and Asian affairs, he spent nearly eleven years in Rome, during which he was also frequently consultant of various Vatican administrative organs. This biography portrays a man who combined in himself successfully the different roles of priest, religious, educationist and statesman in the context of social and political events which have marked a significant turning point particularly in 20th century in Indian history