In this memoir, Thomas Stritch turns a loving, reflective eye on the university to which he came as a freshman in 1930 and in which he remains today, as Professor Emeritus of American Studies. Stritch pretends to no more than a personal view, but this collection of memories, observations, and impressions of the people and ideas behind Notre Dame's growth as a university is shaped by sixty years of experience and offers an insider's view of the university community. Writing about the growth of Notre Dame since its Diamond Jubilee in 1917, Stritch discusses its presidents, the evolution of Notre Dame's religious spirit, its colorful characters, his own undergraduate days, his experiences in and out of the classroom, the history of fine arts at Notre Dame, and his personal involvement with various academic departments. With intimate detail, Stritch shares all that Notre Dame has meant to him.
Thomas Stritch is Professor Emeritus of American Studies at the University of Notre Dame. He has published, among other works, The Catholic Church in Tennesee: The Sesquicentennial Story and is a contributor to Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C.: A Bio-Bibliography.
"This book will delight anyone who has ever had any connection with Notre Dame.... The book provides a very personal account of the transformation of Notre Dame over the past six decades. During that time Notre Dame developed from a small midwestern Catholic college to an internationally known university of some distinction." —The Catholic Historical Review