God Country Notre Dame

I have traveled far and wide, far beyond the simple parish I envisioned as a young man. My obligation of service has led me into diverse yet interrelated roles: college teacher, theologian, president of a great university, counselor to four popes and six presidents. Excuse the list, but once called to public service, I have held fourteen presidential appointments over the years, dealing with the social issues of our times, including civil rights, peaceful uses of atomic energy, campus unrest, amnesty for Vietnam offenders, Third World development, and immigration reform. But deep beneath it all, wherever I have been, whatever I have done, I have always and everywhere considered myself essentially a priest. —from the Preface

Using material from his books, articles, and speeches, this book demonstrates how Fr. Hesburgh was an influential figure in areas ranging from science and technology to civil and human rights, to economic development.

When asked what he wanted written on his tombstone, Fr. Theodore Hesburgh responded with one word: Priest. This giant of a man-a man who advised presidents and counseled popes, who championed civil rights and world peace, who accepted 16 presidential appointments and 150 honorary degrees, who served an unprecedented thirty-five years as president of the University of Notre Dame-could have listed any number of accolades. Instead, he chose his first and most important vocation.Fr. Ted never felt that his calling to be a priest set him apart. Rather, it drew him into relationships with others and out in service to the world. It was a call to serve as mediator, to bridge the divides that separate church and society, conservatives and liberals, the powerful and those on the margins. He spent his life bringing people together. This new biography is the first to tell the story of the spirituality that shaped one of the twentieth century's most distinguished public servants. It is a story to inspire all those who strive to live out their faith in the midst of a deeply divided world.

BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY

The most versatile and highly respected academic leader in the United States, Father Theodore Hesburgh was known for his rare energy and ability to carry out a staggering variety of assignments with distinction. He combined an exceptional blend and balance of qualities-intellect, character, personality, spirituality, and management skill. A man of enormous good will, he tried to embody the compassion of Christ. During his career as president of the University of Notre Dame from 1952 to 1987, enrollment doubled, the endowment grew from $9 million to $350 million, and the number of buildings on campus increased from 48 to 88. At the time of his retirement, his signature was on the degrees of four out of five living Notre Dame graduates. While transforming Notre Dame into a great university, he transformed himself into a national figure with influence far beyond his campus. He was tapped for service by every American president since Eisenhower and by three popes. His fifteen Presidential appointments involved him in almost all the major social issues, and for fifteen years he served on the U.S. Civil Rights Commission. This book examines Fr. Hesburgh's personality, leadership qualities, management strategies, and central role as a priest. It chronicles his prominent position in advancing civil rights and explores his relationship with famous people, among them John and Robert Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, and Pope Paul VI. Finally, the biography investigates unfamiliar aspects of his life: his relationship with women and his six "adopted" children, his attitude toward Notre Dame's high profile football program, and his sometimes controversial views on the Vatican, celibacy, birth control, abortion, and homosexuality. Michael O'Brien is professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley, Menasha, Wisconsin. He is the author of McCarthy and McCarthyism in Wisconsin (1981), Vince: A Personal Biography of Vince Lombardi (1987), and Senator Phillip Hart: The Conscience of the Senate (1996). "A fascinating examination of the Hesburgh era and his towering legacy of service to his church, his country, and his fellow citizens."--Today's Catholic "O'Brien draws on archives and interviews as well as secondary research to produce a thorough survey of the life and character of perhaps the most powerful Catholic priest in the post-World War II U.S."--Booklist "The world has urgently needed a comprehensive study of Fr. Hesburgh's phenomenal accomplishments. . . . This book] is very adequate for chronicling and studying the career of one of the Church's most significant individuals of the century. O'Brien's research, including interviews with many who worked with Hesburgh, is solid. If other analyses of the work of Fr. Hesburgh are forthcoming, they will surely rely heavily on this biography. Public and academic libraries, and those parish libraries serving Notre Dame alumni, will do well to purchase this book."--Catholic Library World "A detailed but accessible biography. . . Although O'Brien's account is strictly chronological and rarely attempts interpretation his biography of a life of single-minded devotion will interest readers already fascinated by Hesburgh as well as those who meet him here for the first time."--Publishers Weekly "O'Brien has done a good job of synthesizing the long list of books, articles, diaries and other things written by and about Father Ted. He alos has interviewed 118 people who worked with Father Ted or otherwise know him well. The result is a book that not only chronicles his notable accomplishments but also tells us what makes Father Ted tick. . . . For all who admire this amazing man, and for those who don't know him, I recommend this book."--St. Anthony Messenger "In an a

A provocative new biography probes deeply into the storied life of Father Ted Hesburgh, the well-loved but often controversial president of Notre Dame University. Considered for many decades to be the most influential priest in America, Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, played what many consider pivotal roles in higher education, the Catholic Church, and national and international affairs. American Priest examines his life and his many and varied engagements—from the university he led for thirty-five years to his associations with the Vatican and the White House—and evaluates the extent and importance of his legacy. Author and Notre Dame priest-professor Wilson D. Miscamble tracks how Hesburgh transformed Catholic higher education in the postwar era and explores how he became a much-celebrated voice in America at large. Yet, beyond the hagiography that often surrounds Hesburgh’s legacy lies another more complex and challenging story. What exactly were his contributions to higher learning; what was his involvement in the civil rights movement; and what was the nature of his role as advisor to popes and presidents? Understanding Hesburgh’s life and work illuminates the journey that the Catholic Church traversed over the second half of the twentieth century. Exploring and evaluating Hesburgh’s importance, then, contributes not only to the colorful history of Notre Dame but also to comprehending the American Catholic experience. Praise for American Priest “An excellent, engaging biography . . . [Miscamble] deftly captures the ‘whole Hesburgh’ in a fair and thorough portrait.” —Catholic Philly “Excellent . . . the story that Father Miscamble tells is an all-American story—the rise of a Catholic of relatively modest background, close to his immigrant roots, to a place of prominence among the nation’s elite.” —Public Discourse

Adventures in Philosophy at Notre Dame recounts the fascinating history of the University of Notre Dame's Department of Philosophy, chronicling the challenges, difficulties, and tensions that accompanied its transition from an obscure outpost of scholasticism in the 1940s into one of the more distinguished philosophy departments in the world today. Its author, Kenneth Sayre, who has been a faculty member for over five decades, focuses on the people of the department, describing what they were like, how they got along with each other, and how their personal predilections and ambitions affected the affairs of the department overall. The book follows the department’s transition from its early Thomism to the philosophical pluralism of the 1970s, then traces its drift from pluralism to what Sayre terms "professionalism,” resulting in what some perceive as a severance from its Catholic roots by the turn of the century. Each chapter includes an extensive biography of an especially prominent department member, along with biographical sketches of other philosophers arriving during the period it covers. Central to the story overall are the charismatic Irishmen Ernan McMullin and Ralph McInerny, whose interaction dominated affairs in the department in the 1960s and 1970s, and who continued to play major roles in the following decades. Philosophers throughout the English-speaking world will find Adventures in Philosophy at Notre Dame essential reading. The book will also appeal to readers interested in the history of the University of Notre Dame and of American higher education generally.