Act of Congress
Amendment of the Certificate of Incorporation became necessary as a result of developments during the University's fourth decade. Pope Pius XI, under date of April 25, 1922, sent an Apostolic Letter to the bishops of the United States urging the development of the university as a temple of knowledge side by side with the temple of prayer that was to become the Basilica of The National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. All the bishops were asked to interest themselves in presenting a plan for the development of the university.

Archbishop Michael J. Curley, who had succeeded to the See of Baltimore after Cardinal Gibbons' death in 1921, consulted the Faculties in his role as Chancellor. Reorganization took shape in the revised Constitution that was approved by the Holy See in 1926. This revision increased the number of trustees and required amendment of the Certificate of Incorporation, which was accomplished, together with further specification of the authority of the Board, by Act of Congress in 1928

Public Law No. 235, 70th Congress (S. 2310)
Act of April 3, 1928, ch. 312, 45 Stat.402

An Act Supplementary to, and amendatory of, the incorpora­tion of the Catholic University of America, organized under and by virtue of a certificate of incorporation pursuant to class 1, chapter 18, of the Revised Statutes of the United States relating to the District of Columbia.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the in­corporation of the Catholic University of America under chapter 18, Revised Statutes of the United States relating to the District of Columbia, be, and the same is hereby, approved and confirmed.

Section 2. That in addition to the rights, duties, and obli­gations enjoyed and imposed by chapter 18 of the Revised Statutes of the District of Columbia the said university may enter into affiliated agreements with any institutions of learning within or outside of the District of Columbia, for the purpose of giving to students of such institutions the educational facilities of said university, upon such terms as are mutually agreed upon by the said university and the affiliated institutions.

Section 3. That said university shall have, and is hereby given, the power to increase the number of its trustees from time to time by a two‑thirds vote of the whole number of the trustees at the time such vote is taken to a number not ex­ceeding fifty.

In case of the increase of the number of trustees a certificate stating the number of the board and the time when it shall go into effect, and that the action so taken was by a two‑thirds vote as required by this Act, shall be filed with the Recorder of Deeds of the District of Columbia.

Section 4. The said board of trustees shall have, and are hereby given, full power and authority, by a vote of two‑thirds of its members, to adopt and change by‑laws for the conduct of the business and educational work of said university, to fix the time of meetings, regular and special, and the form of no­tice to be given; they may appoint an executive committee, com­posed of trustees, designate the number and chairman thereof, with such powers and authority as are usually exercised by an executive committee, and which shall be conferred by the board subject always to. the control of the board of trustees; they may create and establish schools and departments of learning to be connected with and become a part of said university, and establish such scholastic boards and officers as may be required for academic operation and direction in education; they may receive, invest, and administer endowments and gifts of money and property absolute or subject to payments by way of annuities during the life of the donor, for the maintenance of educational work by said university and by any department or chair thereof, now established or which may hereafter be created or established by said university, and they shall have all of the powers and authority heretofore granted to or invested in the trustees of said university by chapter 18 of the Revised Statutes of the United States relating to the District of Columbia.

Section 5. That nothing in this Act contained shall be so construed as to prevent Congress from altering, amending, or repealing the same.

Faculty Handbook of The Catholic University of America, 2006 Edition