| Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C. | |
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Hesburgh Library; the mural, "The Word of Life," depicts Christ the Teacher and is informally known as "Touchdown Jesus." The file File:HesburghLibrary.jpg has an uncertain copyright status and may be deleted. You can comment on its removal. |
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| 15th President of the University of Notre Dame | |
| Term | 1952 – 1987 |
| Predecessor | John J Cavanaugh |
| Successor | Edward Malloy |
| Born | May 25, 1917 Syracuse, New York, United States |
| Alma mater | The Catholic University of America |
| Profession | Priest |
The Rev. Theodore Martin Hesburgh, CSC, STD (born May 25, 1917), a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, is President Emeritus of the University of Notre Dame. He is the namesake for TIAA-CREF's Hesburgh Award.
Hesburgh grew up in Syracuse and had wished to become a priest since early childhood. He studied at Notre Dame until his seminary sent him to Italy. He studied in Rome until he was forced to leave due to the outbreak of World War II. He graduated from The Catholic University of America in 1945, having earned a Doctorate in Sacred Theology. He became executive vice-president in 1949 and served in that position for 3 years.
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He served as Notre Dame's President for 35 years (1952–87), the longest tenure to date. He supervised dramatic growth, as well as a transition to coeducation in 1972. During his term, the annual operating budget rose by a factor of 18 from $9.7 million to $176.6 million, the endowment rose by a factor of 40 from $9 million to $350 million, and research funding rose by a factor of 20 from $735,000 to $15 million. Enrollment nearly doubled from 4,979 to 9,600, faculty more than doubled 389 to 950, and degrees awarded annually doubled from 1,212 to 2,500.[1]
Hesburgh served as a member of the United States Civil Rights Commission from 1957, and Chairman from 1969, until his dismissal by President Richard Nixon in 1972 due to his frequent opposition to Nixon policies. He also served in a number of other posts on government commissions, non-profit organization boards, and Vatican missions, beginning with his appointment to a science commission by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1954.
In 1967, he led an academic movement which issued the so-called Land O'Lakes statement which insisted upon "true autonomy and academic freedom in the face of authority of whatever kind, lay or clerical". According to Rick Perlstein in Nixonland, Hesburgh was considered by George McGovern as his running mate in the 1972 presidential election.[2] McGovern chose Thomas Eagleton.
President Jimmy Carter appointed him to a blue-ribbon immigration reform commission in 1979; the commission's finding — that any national immigration reform proposals can succeed only if the American national border is properly secured beforehand — has been cited by various opponents of illegal immigration to the United States, especially those that are Catholic or sympathetic to Catholic views.
He was one of the founders of People for the American Way. Hesburgh served on the Knight Commission that overhauled college sports from 1990 to 1996. Hesburgh was a major figure in US politics and the Catholic Church from the 1950s to the 1990s, and he is still influential today. He is an endorser of the Genocide Intervention Network and is a strong supporter of interfaith dialogue.
In 2009, he supported the invitation for Barack Obama to speak at Notre Dame, which was controversial because of Obama's strong endorsement of pro-choice legislation.[3]
He holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for “Most Honorary Degrees”, having been awarded 150.
The University of Notre Dame's library opened on September 18, 1963 as the Memorial Library. It was named after Father Hesburgh in 1987. He has a private office on the fourteenth floor with the Olympic Torch from the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games.
Works by or about Theodore Hesburgh in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
| Academic offices | ||
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| Preceded by John J Cavanaugh |
President of the University of Notre Dame 1952–1987 |
Succeeded by Edward Malloy |
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