Theodore Hesburgh

Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C.
File:HesburghLibrary.jpg Hesburgh Library; the mural, "The Word of Life," depicts Christ the Teacher and is informally known as "Touchdown Jesus."
25th
In office 1952–1987
Preceded by	John J Cavanaugh
Succeeded by	Edward Malloy
Personal details
Born	(1917-05-25) May 25, 1917 Syracuse, New York, United States
Profession	Priest

The Rev. Theodore Martin Hesburgh, CSC, STD (born May 25, 1917 at Syracuse, New York),a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, is President Emeritus of the University of Notre Dame.

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.

He served as Notre Dame's President for 35 years (1952-87), the longest tenure so far. He holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for “Most Honorary Degrees”, having been awarded 150. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964, the Congressional Gold Medal on December 9 1999, and the United States Military Academy's Sylvanus Thayer Award. He was the first recipient of the NCAA Gerald R. Ford Award in 2004.

Hesburgh served as a member of the United States Civil Rights Commission from 1957, and Chairman from 1969, until his dismissal by President 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. 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 only succeed 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.

Hesburgh Library

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 thirteenth floor.

External links and references

• Theodore Hesburgh at IMDb
• Biography from the University of Notre Dame
• Hesburgh, Theodore M., Travels with Ned and Ted, University of Notre Dame Press, 2000. ISBN 0-385-51126-4
• Hesburgh, Theodore M. and Reedy, Jerry, God, Country, Notre Dame, University of Notre Dame Press, 2000. ISBN 0-268-01038-2
• Father Hesburgh and American Presidents
• The Nuclear Dilemma Summary of the speech presented at the Carnegie Council's Morgenthau Memorial Lecture Series