Gailliot Award for Newman Studies

Mr. Peter Gailliot, Fr. Drew Morgan, C.O., Fr. John T. Ford, C.S.C., and Dr. Kenneth Parker

On the evening of October 24, Fr. John Ford, C.S.C., was honored with the inaugural Gailliot Award for Newman Studies. The award ceremony took place at the University Club on the University of Pittsburgh campus. The annual two-day Fall Newman event series also included a lecture given by Professor Eamon Duffy of Cambridge University. The Gailliot Family Foundation has been a major sponsor of NINS since its beginning. It once again has shown its generosity by providing for the evening's banquet and the $10,000 award presented to Fr. Ford. Joining in the celebration were Duquesne University President Kenneth Gormley, Provost Timothy Austin, Dean James Swindal, and other senior administrators and faculty. Colleagues from The Catholic University of America, Notre Dame University, Dayton University, University of Saint Thomas, Abilene Christian University, and Saint Mary's Seminary (Houston), traveled to Pittsburgh to honor Fr. Ford.

The Board of Trustees of NINS selected Fr. Ford as a recognized scholar who embodies the characteristics of a true Catholic intellectual and teacher. He has dedicated his life to promoting the study and spreading the knowledge of Newman's life, work and influence.

Fr. Ford, Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America, studied at Notre Dame, Holy Cross College, and the Gregorian University in Rome. He was the first editor-in-chief of the Newman Studies Journal. He has taught at the undergraduate and graduate level for 54 years, offering numerous courses and seminars on the life and thought of John Henry Newman. He has been active in nurturing junior scholars in the field of Newman Studies, and has supervised 61 doctoral projects—15 of them related to Newman. He is a prolific author who has written on John Henry Newman, the First Vatican Council, Ecumenism, and Hispanic/Latino Theology.

His acceptance speech brought to light, in a compelling way, his ever-youthful enthusiasm and tireless vigor for advancing Newman scholarship. The Newman Studies Journal congratulates this extraordinary man who embodies Newman's ideal of the scholar priest, and expresses gratitude for his influence on the next generation of Newman scholars.