The Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism recently launched the Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C, Research Travel Grant Program, a grant open to anyone in any academic discipline with the goal of supporting research that promotes the legacy of Father Hesburgh.
Kathleen Sprows Cummings, director of the Cushwa Center, said the grant aims to allow researchers not only to incorporate Father Hesburgh’s legacy in their studies, but also to learn more about Notre Dame.
“[Recipients] can be researchers looking on a variety of topics,” Cummings said. “You don’t have to write on the history of Notre Dame or Catholicism, or Catholic higher education. Father Hesburgh was involved in much more aspects of the 20th century and in that nature we welcome all disciplines.”
According to the Cushwa Center’s website, part of the application process includes listing specific examples of how collections or papers related to Hesburgh at the University Archives relate to the applicant’s project.
“It’ll just advertise nationally the resources we have here in the University archives. We have a wonderful archive that is a repository for all these elements,” Cummings said.
Cummings also said she believes any time grants are offered for research and travel, it acts as a catalyst for academic progress. She said this specific grant is unique because it allows students the opportunity to study Father Hesburgh’s papers in particular. Cummings said she also hopes this grant allows for more student exposure to the University Archives.
“In some ways I think the archives are better known outside Notre Dame than within Notre Dame,” Cummings said. “If [students] come once they might see how wonderful the archives are and they might come back.”
Kimberly Sammons, senior and resident assistant in Breen-Phillips Hall, visited the archives at her rector’s request to find old pictures of the dorm. Sammons said she became engrossed in the history in the archives and believes this grant will help students experience what she thinks is an under appreciated University resource.
“I think Notre Dame is so steeped in tradition that the archives give you a tangible way to be actively involved with the University,” Sammons said. “Father Ted just did so many things for Notre Dame … and outside the University that I’m sure his papers and his notes … probably rivals stuff that would be in a national museum. So it’ll give students a good opportunity to utilize his life’s work to help Notre Dame.”
Some of the papers at the archives that pertain to Father Hesburgh includes subjects such as his humanitarian work, higher education administration, human rights, Catholicism and more.
“I think this is a wonderful opportunity, and I think Father Hesburgh brought together so many aspects of the world during his lifetime that this is a way for him, after his death, through his papers, to connect different fields of inquiry,” Cummings said.
The deadline for the first round of applications is April 1 and applications must be submitted to cushwa@nd.edu.
