John N. Felten, SJ, (1918-2004) received a degree in Greek and Latin from Loyola University Chicago in 1940. After graduating, he entered the Society of Jesus. He then went on to receive a masters in Greek and Latin from St. Louis University. He was ordained a priest in 1952 at West Baden College in Indiana.

"In 1957, he received a second BA and MA from the University of Oxford. His major authors of study were Herodotus, Thucydides, and Tacitus. In the same year, Father Felten was assigned to Xavier University, where he served for 30 years until his retirement in 1987.

At Xavier, Father Felten became a professor of Greek and Roman history and taught courses on ancient Greece to 480 B.C., 5th-century Athens, and the early Roman Empire. He also directed the honors program from 1958 to 1967. During his tenure, he established Marion Hall as an honors residence hall and assembled very talented instructors for the program. In 1967, the university called upon him to become Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences while he continued to teach his courses in ancient history. In 1987, Father Felten became professor emeritus" (1).

During his tenure at Xavier, Father Felten also served as the associate director of the Honors A.B. course, the coach of the Xavier University Latin team, and as a member of the Board of Trustees. He was a member of various committees throughout his career including the Administrative Problems Committee, the Planning and Development Committee, and the Counseling Committee. Upon retirement from teaching, Father Felten served as the University Archivist.

(1)Simon, Stephen. "In Memoriam: John N. Felten (1918-2204)." Perspectives on History. American Historical Association, 2004. https://www.historians.org/publications-and-directories/perspectives-on-history/may-2005/in-memoriam-john-n-felten