Theodore Hesburgh

The Reverend Father Theodore Hesburgh C.S.C.
Hesburgh in his office at the University of Notre Dame
15th President of the University of Notre Dame
In office 1952–1987
Preceded by	John J Cavanaugh
Succeeded by	Edward Malloy
Personal details
Born	Theodore Martin Hesburgh (1917-05-25)May 25, 1917 Syracuse, New York, United States
Died	February 26, 2015(2015-02-26) (aged 97) Notre Dame, Indiana, United States
Alma mater	The Catholic University of America
Profession	Priest
Religion	Roman Catholic
Signature

Theodore Martin Hesburgh, CSC (May 25, 1917 – February 26, 2015) was an American priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross. He served as president of the University of Notre Dame for 35 years. TIAA–CREF's Hesburgh Award is named after him.

Theodore Hesburgh was born in Syracuse, New York to Anne Murphy Hesburgh and Theodore Bernard Hesburgh and had one brother and three sisters. He had wished to become a priest since early childhood. He enrolled at Notre Dame in 1934, but after three years he was relocated to Rome and in 1939 he earned a bachelor of philosophy degree from the Gregorian University. Because he was sent to Rome, Hesburgh never finished his Notre Dame degree. (He obtained it years later, in 1984, when the University awarded him an honorary degree, 32 years after he became university president.) He studied in Rome until he was forced to leave due to the outbreak of World War II. In 1943 he was ordained a priest in the Congregation of Holy Cross at Notre Dame's Sacred Heart Church, later renamed the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. He graduated from The Catholic University of America in 1945, having earned a Doctorate in Sacred Theology, and taught Religion at Notre Dame. In 1948 he was named head of the Department of Theology. In 1949 Notre Dame president Rev. John J. Cavanaugh, C.S.C. appointed him executive vice-president and Hesburgh served in that position for three years.

Hesburgh served as Notre Dame's President for 35 years (1952–1987), 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. In 1967 he turned governance of the University over to a two-tiered, mixed board of lay and religious trustees and fellows.