Born in England, he emigrated to the United States at the age of 13, and was taken under the care of two Catholic women in Philadelphia, which led to his conversion to Catholicism soon thereafter.

As president, he initiated the college's relocation from the South End of Boston to a new campus in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts that he purchased.

His tenure came to an end in 1914, and he moved first to Maryland and then to Georgetown University, where he served as graduate dean for sociology for nine years.

He then briefly led the Manresa Institute on Staten Island, before being stationed at Loyola College in Montreal, where he died in 1930.

[6] Just two months after his inauguration, he suggested to the Jesuit provincial superior that Boston College might inquire into purchasing a tract of land, including the farm of Amos Adams Lawrence, on Commonwealth Avenue near the Brighton neighborhood of Boston and relocate the school from the South End.

[4] In furtherance of this goal, he announced to alumni in May 1907 that he aimed to relocate the college and construct a new campus; this would require $10 million.

[7] On November 11, 1907, the Boston College board of trustees settled on a specific parcel of land in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and voted to purchase it.

In response, Gasson opened a graduate department in December 1912, which provided lectures on philosophy, literature, and professional ethics.

Five months later, he was transferred to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where he worked various jobs,[17] including serving as the graduate dean of sociology from 1914 to 1923.

He then briefly returned to Georgetown before becoming the rector of the Manresa Institute, a Jesuit retreat house on Staten Island in New York City.