Father Hesburgh

Father Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C., was president of the University of Notre Dame from 1952 to 1987. He increased the stature and size of the university, and greatly influenced the areas of civil rights and higher education in the United States.

Source: University of Notre Dame

Fr. Hesburgh passed away last night at 97. While plenty think he derailed Catholic Higher Education, Notre Dame is a shining example of an university dedicated to the whole person absolutely rooted with Christ at the core.

They way Notre Dame navigates remaining a national university while maintaining Catholic identity is unmatched and that’s largely due to the way Hesburgh navigated the early waters during our—both American and Catholic —social chaos of the 1960s.

Visit ND’s Memorial Site.

Update: Another nice memorial from ND Observer (student paper).