The Rev. Thomas E. Walsh, C.S.C. was an Irish-Canadian

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

, and seventh

President of the University of Notre Dame The president of the University of Notre Dame is the chief administrator of the university. The president is selected by the board of trustees of the university, which has the general power of governance of the institution, and is second only to ...

from 1881 to 1893. He was born one of nine in Lacolle, Quebec, son of Thomas Walsh and Winifred McDermott. He was educated at the College de Saint-Laurent, where he caught the attention of Rev. Edward Sorin, who saw his potential. He finished his studies there in 1872 and entered the Novitiate. Sorin sent him to study at College de Ste. Croix in

Neuilly Neuilly (, ) is a common place name in France, deriving from the male given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well ...

, close to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, where he spent three years. He was recalled to Notre Dame in 1876 in order to improve enrollment. He was ordained a priest on August 29th, 1877 by Bishop Joseph Dwenger of

Fort Wayne Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...

and then assumed the role of Dean of Students. After the great fire of 1879, Walsh was in charge of rescheduling classes and professors in the newly reopened college, and his administrative ability led Sorin and

William Corby The Rev. William Corby, CSC (October 2, 1833 – December 28, 1897) was an American priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, and a Union Army chaplain in the American Civil War attached to the Irish Brigade. He served twice as president of ...

to pick him as next president in 1881. He died of kidney disease at the age of 40. Walsh Hall at the University of Notre Dame was dedicated in his honor.

President of the University of Notre Dame

As president, Walsh interest was in bolstering Notre Dame's scholastic reputation and standards. At the time, many students came to Notre Dame for its business courses only, and did not graduate. He started a "Belles Lettres" programs and invited many notable lay intellectuals to campus, including Maurice Francis Egan, and started reconstructing the library which was lost in the fire. Walsh reorganized the law school and in 1882 he built the Science Hall. He also built

Sorin Hall Sorin Hall, also known as Sorin College, is the oldest of the 32 Residence Halls on the campus of the University of Notre Dame and one of the 16 male dorms. It is named after Edward Sorin, the founder of Notre Dame. Sorin is located directly nor ...

which was the first freestanding residence hall on campus and one of the first in the country to have private rooms for students. Walsh was initially against this innovation, as he believed private rooms would lead to disciplinary issues, but this project was championed by Sorin and

John Zahm The Rev. John Augustine Zahm (pseudonym H. J. Mozans), CSC (June 14, 1851 – November 10, 1921) was a Holy Cross priest, author, scientist, and explorer of South America. He was born at New Lexington, Ohio, and died in Munich, Germany. Education ...

. During his tenure, Notre Dame started its football program and started awarding the

Laetare Medal The Laetare Medal is an annual award given by the University of Notre Dame in recognition of outstanding service to the Catholic Church and society. The award is given to an American Catholic or group of Catholics "whose genius has ennobled the a ...

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* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Walsh, Thomas E. Presidents of the University of Notre Dame 20th-century Canadian Roman Catholic priests Congregation of Holy Cross 1853 births 1893 deaths