God, Country, Notre Dame

The Autobiography of Theodore M. Hesburgh

Theodore M. Hesburgh and Jerry Reedy

Narrated by John Sipple

Available from Audible

Book published by University of Notre Dame Press

"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

Theodore M. Hesburgh retired in 1987 after 35 years as President of the University of Notre Dame. He is a leader in higher education and an advocate for human rights.

REVIEWS:

“Father Hesburgh should be on almost everyone’s list of the most influential figures in American higher education over the past few decades. In these fascinating memoirs, he chronicles the transformation of Notre Dame from a somewhat mediocre midwestern university into a major national teaching and research institution. As president of Notre Dame for 35 years, he used that position as a platform to argue the truly critical issues not only within the academy, but outside as well. The chapters on his involvement with the Civil Rights movement and criticism of early Vatican policy on academic freedom at Catholic universities are most compelling. Recommended for all readers, especially in these days of seeming cynicism and doubt.”

— Library Journal

“Father Hesburgh says that each one of us can do something effective in the cause of a better world. God, Country, Notre Dame itself embodies an obvious refutation of the apathetic notion that ‘in the modern world one person cannot make a difference’.”

—Commonweal

“The temptation is to subtitle this book, ‘Adventures of Superpriest.’ If Father Hesburgh made it all up, it would still be a wonderful story, a compendium of what-ifs ... its warmth and humanity are infectious, and most readers will not have the nerve to fight off the pleasure of going along.”

—Chicago Tribune