RECTOR (Lat., ruler, director). An ecclesi astical and academic title, meaning in the former sense a clergyman who has the charge of a parish and full possession of all the consequent rights and privileges. In the Church of England a rec tor differs from a dear in that the latter is en titled only to a certain portion of the ecclesi astical income specially set apart to the vicarage. The office of rector as developed in England was carried over to the American colonies, where, however, a unique development came about. Un der the American civil church law (q.v.) the parishes of the Protestant Episcopal Church. like the religious societies of other denomina tions, received civil incorporation. and the Ameri can rector, instead of eontiucing to be regarded, like the English, as a eorporation sole, became ex officio the president of a corporation consti tuted of the rector. wardens, and vestrymen. To the rector belongs the possession and use of the temporalities of the parish, but only for the ser vice of the church. In the Roman Catholic
Church the title of rector is frequently given to a parish priest or to the superior of a college or a religious house, more especially the superior of a .Jesuit seminary or college. A 'missionary rector' in this Church is a priest appointed by the bishop to certain parishes in England, and in the United States to the charge of any parish. Some few are known as 'irremovable rectors'; these cannot be transferred to other parishes or removed for any other cause than proved miscon duct.
In academic usage the title of rector is given in many places to the head of a college or of a university. hi this sense it was employed by the colonial institution of America until the middle of the eighteenth century, for instance, the head of Yale College was called rector.