| Type: | Bishop |
| Honorific-Prefix: | His Excellency, The Most Reverend |
| William J. McDonald | |
| Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco Titular Bishop of Aquae Regiae | |
| Church: | Catholic Church |
| Appointed: | March 17, 1964 |
| Term: | July 26, 1967 - June 5, 1979 |
| Ordination: | June 10, 1928 |
| Consecration: | May 19, 1964 |
| Consecrated By: | Egidio Vagnozzi |
| Birth Date: | June 17, 1904 |
| Birth Place: | Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
| Death Place: | San Francisco, California, US |
| Previous Post: | Auxiliary Bishop of Washington (1964-1967) |
| Other Post: | Titular Bishop of Aquae Regiae |
William Joseph McDonald (June 17, 1904 – January 7, 1989) was an Irish-born bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington from 1964 to 1967 and the Archdiocese of San Francisco in California from 1967 to 1979.
William McDonald was born on June 17, 1904, in Kilkenny in County Kilkenny, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. He trained for the priesthood in St Kieran's College in Kilkenny.
McDonald was ordained a priest in San Francisco for the Archdiocese of San Francisco on June 10, 1928, and served as a parish priest before entering the academic field. He received a master's degree and then doctorate from The Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, D.C. where he remained as a professor.[1] From 1957 to 1967, McDonald served as rector of CUA, the last person to hold that title before it was changed to president.[2] From 1960 to 1963, McDonald served as president of the International Federation of Catholic Universities and editor of the New Catholic Encyclopedia.
On March 17, 1964 Pope Paul VI appointed McDonald as the titular bishop of Aquae Regiae and as an auxiliary bishop of Washington. He was consecrated a bishop by Archbishop Egidio Vagnozzi on May 19, 1964. The principal co-consecrators were Archbishops Patrick O'Boyle and Joseph McGucken. McDonald attended the third and fourth sessions of the Second Vatican Council in Rome in 1964 and 1965.
Paul VI appointed McDonald on July 26, 1967, as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. His resignation as auxiliary bishop was accepted by Pope John Paul II on June 5, 1979.
William McDonald died of a heart attack in San Francisco on January 7, 1989, at the age of 84.[3] [4]