My own favorite recollections of Bob Drinan come from my first years at Georgetown.  My whole family came to the Law Center the day of my professorial inauguration, including my two children, ages 12 and 9, who sat through several hours of events that bored them silly.  At lunch, Bob sat down next to Rachel, the squirmy nine-year-old, charmed her, and then occupied her for half an hour of deeply competitive tic-tac-toe.  Needless to say, he earned her parents' heartfelt gratitude.  A year later, when Rachel visited me at work, Bob invited her into his office and had a serious talk with her about politics and religion – then gave her an offprint of a law review article he had written on RFRA.  Rachel (who had a keen sense of when adults were taking her seriously) was thrilled by the conversation and deeply proud that Bob had given her his article.  For a couple of years afterward, Bob would stop me in the hallway and ask, with mock concern, "Are you still feeding Rachel enough?"

- Professor David Luban

Georgetown University Law Center

 

Father Drinan has been my office next door neighbor for 12 years and my colleague in legal ethics and social justice for much, much longer.... Every morning he would come to my office for a hug and a question, "Carrie, do have any good news for the Democrats?" (my husband is a democratic pollster) and we would either sigh when things were bad or grin when something good was happening.  Every single day.......In recent months Father Drinan felt ever more fragile when I hugged him so I knew this time would come...he would often say to me "every day over 80 is gravy from God" so I know he was ready to meet his Maker....but I am not ready to say good-bye to the corporeal form of a being who inspired me and so many others every day...Here in  our little "neighborhood" of the 4th floor corner of the Georgetown Law Center, we cannot imagine that Father Drinan will not come striding into his and our offices with reports of his human rights activities, announcements of a new book, a present for our children or family members, and declamations about the good of the country and  the world. When there was important political news breaking I would watch with Father Drinan on his TV and we would speculate about what would happen next...For those of us who came in on week-ends, Father Drinan was always there....for personal, spiritual,  educational or political conversation.  I used to ask Father Drinan if he would speak at my funeral (as he presided over so many spiritual and educational events for our institution and for us personally)--it was my hope that he would go on longer than all of us who were much younger.....Many of our colleagues called Father Drinan Bob--to me he was always Father----As the daughter of a Catholic and a Jew, who was herself raised in a secular faith, Ethical Culture, Father Drinan was my priest and spiritual leader--he combined care for the whole world, with care for each and every creature in it..He was political, caring about doing right and justice, spiritual, moral and fun....Mostly, he was a constant presence of committed goodness, for humankind, for the American dream of social justice, for a world free from want and injustice, and for our institution. Although Georgetown will never be the same without him....here in our little corner of the world, his presence will be with us forever.  I know that, with a smile on his face and a hope we will continue his good works, he will be watching over us...Let us dedicate ourselves to continuing his good works...

- Professor Carrie Menkel-Meadow

Georgetown University Law Center

I will miss Fr. Drinan's smiley face!  Often I saw him in the cafeteria, with just a "little healthy" food on a plate, but he always used a tray!!  We walked together to the elevator, and he used those few minutes to discuss the latest news about my country (Afghanistan).  I have never had any opportunity to have a close working relationship with Fr. Drinan, but what impressed me was that he always remembered my name "a non-American name," Laili. 

- Laili Safa

Georgetown University Law Center

 

Father Drinan was an extraordinary human being.  My first memories of him are from my childhood: He was my Congressman while I was growing up in Massachusetts, and a deeply beloved figure in Newton, a city which he represented and in which I lived.  While I was in elementary school and Father Drinan was running for re-election, I made a large “Drinan” sign and hung it out a classroom window on Election Day, though it was taken down because it was too close to the polling place in the school gymnasium.  I met him only much later, when I joined the faculty at Georgetown, where I had the extraordinary privilege of serving as his colleague, and the deeper honor of considering him a friend. 

In person, he was more than a match for his reputation.  Bob was remarkable for his humanity.  When meeting someone new, his questions would always turn to the person’s family: their parents, their children, their spouse or significant other.  He would always ask about loved ones, remembering casual remarks from conversations months before.  In this, you could see that, while he was a lawyer, politician, and activist, he was, first, a priest, a pastor in the best sense of that word.

Father Drinan was a great friend of ACS, from the very moment it was launched at Georgetown in 1999 when it was called the Madison Society.  He was a speaker at ACS events and a supporter of its mission.  He would often greet me in one of the hallways at Georgetown, calling out “Mr. Madison” in his booming voice, and inquiring about the Society’s progress.  His passion for justice and his work seeking recognition and respect for the essential dignity of every human being was unflagging.  His voice will be deeply missed.  His presence will be missed even more.

- Professor Peter Rubin

Georgetown University Law Center

 

I am distraught this morning, contemplating the loss not just of a great man but my next door neighbor at work. While I knew about the aspects of his life that made him an iconic figure for justice and human rights, I knew "Father Bob" mostly as the person who brightened my day when I came to work. I experienced first hand his pastoral care for ten years as we shared a wall at work. His door was always open, mine always partially closed. He never let me get away with that, always stepping in to see how I was, asking about my family, my father, husband, the book or article I was writing. My first year at Georgetown Law, he overheard me whining about being without a sweetheart yet again on Valentines Day, he produced a heartshaped box of chocolates for me, smiling devilishly he said, "Just don't tell the Pope." I will treasure his friendship the rest of my life, and try to emulate his goodness as best I can. More than anything I will remember that a few weeks before he died, he visited my newborn premature twins at the hospital, entreating God to watch over them, impressing the NICU nurses with my sons' good connections. He called me at home several times to be sure the family was doing well. A week before he died I came into the office, frenetic as usual. Little did I know that when Father Bob stepped in with his typical good cheer, gentle smile and query as to how I was, that this would be our last conversation. I am happy for him that he was able to live such a vital and giving life, on his terms, until God was ready to call him to rest. I will miss him terribly.

- Professor Sheryll Cashin

Georgetown University Law Center

 

Lord, hear our prayers; in Your mercy, bring us to Your place of peace and light the soul of Fr. Drinan, whom You have summoned from this world. Call him to be numbered in the fellowship of Your saints. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

- Lan Hoang

Georgetown University Law Center

 

Many years ago, as an intern on Capitol Hill, I met this wonderful man named Father Drinan…. It was the Watergate era … and the Hill was an amazing place to be someone in their twenties……..

Father Drinan was always friendly, outspoken and never refused to answer questions from the “young” adults.  It was wonderful to have someone so open and thoughtful around during those politically moving times.

Years later when I started working on the travel for the Law Center a phone call came in for flights to Boston from Father Drinan….and after several minutes of conversation I was truly shocked that he remembered our conversations on the Hill many many years earlier (1973-74)….

Father Drinan will be missed by many for his wonderful personality and his political and religious savvy….. and I feel honored to have met him.

- Vivianne Pommier

President, West End Travel

 

I will always remember Father Drinan as a soul who always cared about others more than himself.  He felt he always had to get to either this class or to this conference and that.  I will always remember this man’s spirit and energy which constantly showed no matter where he was going.  Godspeed Father Drinan – you’re finally on your way home.

-Robert Simms

Georgetown University Law Center

 

Although Bob Drinan became a full-time-and-then-some law professor, he was an active participant in Former Members of Congress, and Congressional traditions always resided within him. He and I served on a faculty committee together in the early 1980s. I was trying to persuade the committee to recommend something about which I was passionate, though now I can no longer recall what that burning issue was. To my surprise, Professor Drinan spoke against my proposal. Counting votes, I saw that with Drinan against me, I was likely to lose. But having taught Congressional procedure, and aware that the issue was one about which he cared less than I did, I knew what to do. I slipped him a note that said, “Bob, I need you on this one.” Congressman Drinan glanced at it and folded into his pocket. Within minutes, he changed his view and supported my proposal, which the Committee then approved.

Notwithstanding his antiwar sympathies, Bob was fond of my son Sam, who has always loved guns and who joined the Air Force at the age of 17. Bob delivered one of the most important traditional Jewish prayers at Sam’s bar mitzvah and frequently asked about him. And Sam was not alone: this truly remarkable man had a personal relationship with many of the children of his colleagues.

-Professor Philip Schrag

Georgetown University Law Center

 

I never knew a more tireless and committed teacher.  Anyone who took Constitutional Law with Father Drinan will remember how he always came to class with the original, full text of the cases we were studying that day - - that meant that instead of just bringing our text book containing all the abridged cases, he brought a US Reports volume for each case.  Often we might have been studying 8 cases in a day so he brought them in on a luggage cart. I was so moved that he would expend all of that energy on teaching us.   One night, I just did not have the energy to read all of the (abridged) cases required for the next day even though I was the student "on-call" for the class.  I decided that I would call him in his office and leave him a voicemail message with some lame (untrue) excuse like I was not feeling well so that I could get out of my "on-call" status.  He was so kind, that I expected that he probably would accept the excuse without a question.  But when I called (around 9:30 pm), he shocked me by answering the telephone.  When I expressed my surprise that he was in his office at the late hour, he said that he was reading through the cases again in preparation of our class.  Well this was in 1996 and he had been teaching the class for maybe 15 years - - he knew these cases better than anyone I knew then (or know now).  Needless to say, I was immediately humbled and inspired in the same moment.  I bumbled out a sentence about how I was calling to let him know that I would be five minutes late for the class because of an appointment but that I would be there to fulfill my "on-call" responsibility.  He said something, like "Sure, April, I look forward to you sharing your thoughts on these great cases."   I spent the night preparing - - I have spent these years since continuing to be inspired by this great man.   I consider myself incredibly privileged to have been taught by him.  It was a gift.  

-April F. Condon

Georgetown Law Class of 1996

 

I had the good fortune to join with then GU President Tim Healy in bringing Fr. Drinan to Georgetown. Like the good Jesuit he was, he had just honored the instructions of the Pope who sought to distinguish between clergy in executive positions and clergy in legislative positions. In short he was leaving Congress where he had served for 12 years after leaving B.C. where he had been dean for 10 years. It has been to the inestimable benefit of Georgetown Law that Fr. Drinan accepted our offer. At the time, he was 60 and the rules then said that we could retain him on the faculty until he was 65. Another fortunate intervention (with Congress led by Claude Pepper) changed the rules and we were able to have Bob with us for a very long time.    That "very long time," which today feels too short, has meant that many, many students have benefited from his teaching, the profession and nation have benefited from his intense focus on international human rights , and our institution has benefited mightily from his wisdom and efforts (perhaps the leading volunteer to represent Georgetown Law as often as needed everywhere) to help us achieve the dream we shared for Georgetown.    He is today in Heaven. I suspect it will never be the same hereafter. 

-David McCarthy

Dean and Professor Emeritus, Georgetown University Law Center

 

My time here at Georgetown Law, and my memories when I leave, will always include, and be in great part, a rememberence of Father Drinan.  His sense of humor, his wonderful intellect, his kindness and generosity of spirit,  and his service to humanity were exemplary.  He will be remembered with appreciation and love.  It was a great honor to know him.

-Suzan Benet

Georgetown University Law Center

 

I met Fr. Drinan on Election Day in 1984, when I came to the Law Center on my way to have lunch with Fr. Orsy, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Fr. Drinan is a historical figure who showed his loyalty to the Society of Jesus and its motto "ad maiorem Dei gloriam" -- for the greater glory of God -- when given the choice of remaining a Congressman or continuing as a priest.

In my view, he and the late John Wolff could be considered as beloved.

-John McInespie

Georgetown Law Class of 1993

 

Given Father Drinan’s prominent role in my life, as in the lives of all whom he touched, it is natural that he would be central to the most important event for our family—the recent birth of our son Alexander. His calls, his prayers, and his cheer were a constant part of our transition. When Jennifer and I asked Father to christen Alexander, he said, “Absolutely. Let’s do it soon.” Not soon enough. We will miss him presiding over Alexander’s baptism, but we will miss infinitely more his presence in our lives. Father, we will welcome Alexander into the community of faith as you would have welcomed him. And we will teach him to follow the example you have given all of humanity—a life grounded in faith, challenged by intellect, tempered with judgment, and always pursuing justice.

-Professor Viet Dinh

Georgetown University Law Center

 

One of the first visitors to my office after I became editor of The Tablet, the London-based Catholic weekly, was Robert Drinan. He was charming, supportive and pastoral in his care and concern for me and  for the journal. Bob had been a long-term supporter, reader and  contributor to The Tablet, and often took the trouble to phone or write comments about our work and the important issues of the day.  His last contribution to our pages was in October 2006 when he wrote about the need for reform of America's prisons. The article was typical of him: it revealed his passionate commitment to justice and his great humanity.

May he rest in peace.

-Catherine Pepinster

Editor, The Tablet, London

 

I would like to share two (of many) memories of Bob Drinan. One dates from an event several years before I ever imagined I would be his colleague at Georgetown. I was only a few years into my career as a law professor, untenured, not knowing too many colleagues outside the law school where I then worked. That law school sent me, as its representative, to an important conference on legal ethics, held for law schools who had all participated in a major grant initiative. I arrived and realized that all the other schools had sent as their emissaries their deans or associate deans and that the other professors attending were extremely prominent and accomplished scholars in legal ethics. I gave my official remarks early in the conference. I doubt whether Bob had ever heard of me before then. I sat down in the audience, and on the first break, Bob bounded over to me (Bob seemed always to be bounding or striding, even in recent months as he became a bit slow of actual step!). He plunged into substance right away, without introducing himself (not knowing what he looked like, I had no idea who he was), but in a way clearly intended to be more than personally friendly, intended to be welcoming me to a community. After we chatted, I whispered to somebody, “Who is that?” Upon hearing the reply, I think I must have glowed a little. I knew of Bob’s career in Congress and his scholarly standing. His greeting WAS a welcome to me, a gesture of solidarity and friendship that was meant to, and did, put me at my ease.

Several years later, as fate would have it, I became Bob’s colleague (and, for several years, his hallway neighbor) at Georgetown Law Center. One year, I had the good fortune to be involved with students from my legal ethics seminar who were also active in Bob’s beloved Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics. That year’s seminar led to a symposium issue of the Journal. By then of course Bob and I knew each other, but again he made a point of coming by to see me in a way that conveyed a sense of welcome, not just friendly collegiality. This time he was implicitly welcoming me to one of his many specific missions: ensuring that the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics would be educational in the broadest sense, for the students who edited it, the scholars who wrote for it, and for all those who read it. Bob did not have to spell out the terms of this welcome, just as he did not in our first encounter. Bob did not have to talk about including people: he just included them. I am proud to have been Bob's colleague, lucky to have known him, and deeply saddened by his death.

-Professor Heidi Li Feldman

Georgetown University Law Center

 

“How are we doing” is how Father Drinan would invariably greet me, stopping me in the hallway or coming into my office for a quick chat The ever-present “we” stressed our shared community. He made it clear that we were all an important part of his life, and he was never too busy to talk to me about the latest political controversies or Supreme Court rulings, and to inquire about my family. Just the opposite. He made the effort to stop me from wherever I seemed to be rushing, and the result has been countless conversations over the years, beginning on my first day at Georgetown more than a decade ago, and extending to my home. I am so grateful to him for the time we shared together as colleagues and friends.

-Professor Richard Lazarus

Georgetown University Law Center

 

I was blessed to have a chance meeting with Father Drinan last month.  It was Christmas Eve and I was on my way to Bermuda.  I saw Father Drinan in the waiting area before his flight to Boston.  I had not seen him since 1994.  He looked as old as ever but still sharp as a tack!  He was pleased to hear of my recent conversion to Catholicism.  He was even more interested to learn that I was still single.  After the holiday, he wanted to meet with me to discuss joining the priesthood!  Imagine, me a priest!  We never got a chance to talk again but he sent me a nice letter a couple of weeks ago.  He will be missed.

-Michael P. Allen

Georgetown Law Class of 1994

 

I was truly blessed to have had the great privilege and honor of working for Father Drinan for several wonderful years. He was not only a spiritually uplifting and humble human being, but also possessed an amazing energy and keen intellect. My family and I came to know and love him. He was a genuine friend and confidant and I will miss him dearly. Father Drinan helped many, many people in this world.   May his memory live on and may God let him rest in peace forever.

-Rada Stojanovich Hayes

Georgetown University Law Center

 

My son David was a founding editor of the Journal of Legal Ethics and my son Alex editor of the Law Center newspaper. Through the years, mostly Bob and I discussed politics, but he never failed to ask about David and Alex and their families. When I was Dean, he would teach anything, any time, anywhere, and would accept countless missions on behalf of the University and the Law Center. He cared about Human Rights on a worldwide basis, was generous and caring about his students, committed to general and personal charity. He unfailingly did unto others what his religeon asked they do unto him. In his personal and public life, he lived as deeply as anyone I have known the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount.

-Professor Robert Pitofsky

Georgetown University Law Center

 

When I told my mom that I would be coming to teach at Georgetown Law School, she was proud. But it wasn't until I told her that Father Drinan would be one of my colleagues that she was really impressed.  For several generations of progressive Catholics, my parents among them, Father Drinan stood out as a man who was true to the best that his faith and his country had to offer, even if it meant that he was, as a result, often a dissenter from the mainstream.  Father Drinan baptised both of our children, Aidan and Sarah, and our family will always be proud to have had such an exemplar of moral courage welcome Aidan and Sarah into the church.  They they were always excited to see him when they came into the law school.  My final memory of Bob was just a couple of weeks ago, as he walked into my office to show me a new digital timer that he had been given -- it was counting down, in hours, minutes, and seconds, the time till George Bush leaves office.  Perhaps it was the certainty that that time would come that allowed Bob to depart, after fighting for 86 years for justice for all. 

-Professor David Cole

Georgetown University Law Center

 

I have many memories of the small ways in which Father Drinan impacted so many.  First and foremost, I truly believe Father Drinan was here for the students.  We could count on him to attend the Graduation Gala and shake hands with both students and parents.  It was amazing to see how family members revered him and seemed to credit him with their graduate's success. No doubt, this is because he connected with students on an individual level.   Likewise, each year he made a point of attending a scholarship event organized by our office.  The event raised funds for a scholarship in the name of one of his former students, Bettina Pruckmayr.  The emotion and support he gave her family each year was incredible.  He showed that sharing emotional moments is an important part of our humanity and strengthens our community.  Finally, I will always treasure the card he sent to my daughter on the occasion of her birth.  What wise words he gave her!  I saved that card and will use it to help her understand Father Drinan's legacy.

-Katherine Hall, Assistant Dean of Students

Georgetown University Law Center

 

So many of us have stories about Father Drinan and our children.  For a man without children of his own, he had an amazing and natural talent for talking with them, taking them seriously, remembering them.  After my son Jake was born, along with the flood of cards and presents came a little note on Georgetown stationery from Father Drinan.  All it said was, "I hope he is a liberal."  For years afterward, every time he saw me in the hall, Father Drinan would boom, "I hope your son is still a liberal!"  I always assured him that he still didn't have any choice.  I had always intended to honor my son's own choices about political beliefs as he grew up, but now I don't think so.  I owe it to Father Drinan.  I owe him a lot as it turns out.  Hearing his voice down the hall always made me happier.  His passion for justice made me more hopeful.  His integrity and kindness made me want to be a better person.  But mostly I owe him gratitude for being with me and my family in the happiest and hardest times of our lives.  Thankfully Father Drinan was as liberal with his blessings as he was with his politics.  He blessed and welcomed my Jewish children when they were born, and he blessed and helped us say good-bye to my son Julien when he died.  I loved his gentle presence, his feisty politics, his faith, his intellect, his humor and his enormous heart.  I miss him terribly.  Mostly I feel lucky that I got to share a little time and space on earth with him.

-Professor Naomi Mezey

Georgetown University Law Center

 

Professor Drinan spent the last years of his life with students in the hope that their generation would take on the struggle for justice. His wisdom, based on experience in the law, Congress, and the Church, was a unique strength of Georgetown Law, and I will hold his advice and example in mind the rest of my days.

-Herbert Claiborne Pell

Georgetown Law Class of 2008

 

Father Drinan was a household name in my family. He was one of the main reasons I came to Georgetown. It has been a privilege serving on the journal he founded, taking his International Human Rights class, and spending Sunday evenings with him at his weekly Sunday Mass. It was easy to forget that he was 86 because he was so active, both physically and mentally. Just last month he was seeking research assistants for his upcoming work on the rights of the unborn. I feel so lucky to have known him.

-Connor Mullin

Georgetown Law Class of 2008

 

Father Drinan was one of the most open-minded, humanitarians I have encountered as a student at the Law Center!  He inspired his students to explore Human Rights issues from a very practical, rather than theoretical perspective.  I am honored to have been instructed by him in one of his last full years here with us.  He has left a great legacy and inspired many.  He was always full of encouraging words with a great sense of humor.  During each and every class session, he never passed up an opportunity to remind us of the responsiblities we would one day have as practioners, and of our greater purpose as law students.  He has been a great asset to the Law Center, and I feel blessed to know that he is resting in peace!

-Shwanda T. Harris

Georgetown Law Class of 2007

 

Though I am not a member of the Georgetown family, I have known Fr. Drinan since the late 1970's.  The way we met says something about the man, I believe.  I had just come to Washington to succeed Fr. Edward Flannery as director of the Secretariat for Catholic-Jewish Relations.  The new kid on the block, I was asked to speak to the Anti-Defamation League's interreligious committee during ADL's annual national meeting, which took place here that year.  He was to be the featured speaker at the plenary luncheon, on the topic of his book, Honor the Promise, which had come out not long before.  He was, naturally, seated at the head table with the luminaries of the organization.  I was in one of the tables off to the side.  Coming down from the head table, he introduced himself (as if I did not recognize him!) and asked if he could eat lunch with me.  He launched into a thousand questions about Catholic-Jewish relations and where I was going to lead it.  I and my wife and daughter have had a number of meals with him over the years.  He never ran out of questions.  Fr. Drinan was deeply dedicated to Catholic-Jewish relations and supportive of it.  I shall miss him, and his questions, most deeply.  As the Jews would say, may his name be for a blessing!

-Dr. Eugene Fisher, Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

 

Bob was one of the first people to pop into my office when I returned to Georgetown in February, 2005 after teaching at Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Without missing a beat he bounded into my office, sprawled into one of the comfortable chairs in my office, welcomed me back and started pumping me for information about my experience. It was one of the longest chats I ever had with him, for he rarely sat still for very long. And his questions came from a deeply shared interest in my cross cultural adventure, my Jewishness and my deep sense of unease about the actions of so many important people in Israel, Palestine and the surrounding countries. That meeting was one of many that have made me proud to be associated with Bob. His deep empathy with the Jesuit goal to educate the whole person has had a lasting influence on my goals as an educator and on my sense of what it means to be Jewish. Over the years many of my Jewish friends have asked me if it was difficult working at a Jesuit institution. Just mentioning Father Drinan made it easy for me to convince them how wonderful it was. May our memory of his life become a blessing to us all.

-Professor Richard Chused

Georgetown University Law Center

 

My first experience as a Georgetown Law student was a walking tour of the House chamber with Father Drinan. Last year, one of the 1L orientation activities was a tour of the halls of Congress with the last Catholic priest elected to serve. Father Drinan took a group of us to the House floor and told us about his proudest legislative achievements in the very room in which they occurred. I think it speaks volumes about Father Drinan's character and commitment to public service that he got involved in public office to spread the values of peace, equal treatment, and good will towards others.

-Edward Sebelius

Georgetown Law Class of 2009

 

I join the rest of this community, as well as the larger community of our nation and world, in mourning the passing of our friend, Bob Drinan.  Others have spoken so eloquently about his outstanding public service, his incredible passion for justice and law, and his singular contributions to worldwide human rights and to legal ethics.   Of course, we remember him for all of that.  But like others, I want to speak of Bob as the priest and the friend.

When Father Drinan learned that my beloved Lucy was dying of cancer, he came by to minister to me.  At times, every day.  Somehow, he learned when Lucy was in Georgetown hospital.  He came by to minister to Lucy and, if were there, to me.  He came to the house to pray with Lucy.  And, when my own cancer developed, he was even more present.  In all of this, he treated Lucy as the Catholic that she was and respected me for the Jew that I am.  When Lucy died, in September 2003, Bob canceled class to come to co-officiate at her Mass.  And he found time to come to my home several times during the week of shiva.  I will never forget him standing, with skullcap, saying the kaddish, as loud and clear as he participated in the Mass, and afterwards joking that if his skullcap were red, he would have known that he had been promoted in the Church. 

Bob was the priest, the minister, the rabbi, the friend with every person who had the fortune to cross his path.  We were blessed at having him here for so many good years.  We all shall miss him.

-Professor Sherman Cohn

Georgetown University Law Center

 

There will no doubt be many reminiscences among my library colleagues about Fr. Drinan in connection with the library. He was a frequent user of library resources across the wide range of his research interests in American legal topics as well as the area in which I was privileged to work with him, the international law of human rights. I defer to library colleagues Prof. Bob Oakley and Jennifer Locke Davitt, should they choose to share reminiscences with regard to the many other subjects, and the long years of association, connected with Fr. Drinan, both recently and long before I came to work at Georgetown three years ago.

My association with him, brief as it has been occurred over the past year, when Fr. Drinan worked on the international law of children's rights, in general and in connection with child soldiers. In reviewing the email messages and the in person meeting we had while I prepared a bibliography for possible inclusion in his latest work in progress on children, one theme stood out: his conviction that the message is a great teacher in itself. He was convinced that if more Americans knew about the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child and the major web resources explaining what the text actually said, the truth would come home to those who had not realized the effect of the American position of not joining the world in ratifying this important treaty. He was passionate, but never cynical. And he seemed very savvy about the way information has changed, even when, in many ways, politics has not.

I am very glad that the Georgetown University news announcement of Fr. Drinan's passing http://explore.georgetown.edu/news/?ID=22251 included the quotation from the Legal Times where he said that Jesuits do not usually retire but "You just do what you do." I'm so lucky to have worked with a person I admired greatly from the days of his work against the Vietnam war, and that was possible because he just kept doing what he was doing, right up to the end.

-Marylin Raisch

Georgetown University Law Center

 

As a former Jesuit volunteer and practicing attorney, Fr. Drinan has always set the standard for me. Yet, as a Midwesterner who attended Loyola University of Chicago, I never had the opportunity to meet Fr. Drinan in person.  Just last March, while visiting friends in the DC area, I made it a point to finally meet Fr. Drinan. He graciously welcomed me into his office where we sat and chatted about current politics.  Former Illinois Gov. Ryan’s trial had just begun and his big question for me was whether I thought the former governor would be convicted. We also covered our common interests in the Jesuit tradition and public interest law.  I asked him to sign one of his books for me.  I didn’t read the inscription until I arrived home and found he had written:  To Rebecca, with gratitude and admiration, Bob Drinan. He certainly knew how to inspire others!  I will spend a lifetime trying to live up to that one.  I am so grateful to have had a few memorable moments with Fr. Drinan, and join with all who mourn this great loss to the human family.

-Rebecca Pruitt, Assistant Attorney General

Office of the Illinois Attorney General

 

I attended Georgetown Law, in large part, because of Father Drinan.  I had watched him on TV when I was in 6th grade.  I saw him as a wonderful Lawyer and congressman who seemed to vote my conscience, when others seemed to hedge theirs.  When I looked into Georgetown Law I was excited to learn that he and Sam Dash were teaching there. 

One of the least well kept secrets of the school was that Father Drinan would talk to you.  He talked as long after class as we had questions.  He would always wave and greet me in the halls and would say hello and ask how you were if he passed you in the cafeteria.  I often visited him in his office after classes at night.  He was always busy, but found time to invite me in to sit and talk.  He would help me with school work and talk to me about my life.  At the time I was working full time and going to school at night. He had some sympathy for the difficulties of that path.  But it was clear that his days were longer than mine.  He was always cheerful.  He listened very well.  Those few minutes at the end of a long day were quite valuable to me.  I became more optimistic.  He made it seem that we can change the world for the better if we so chose.  He managed to keep his priorities well in line with his beliefs.  He expected me, at least, to do the same.  He made me feel very good about becoming an attorney.  I am grateful for the time he spent with me, lessens he taught me, and that he handed me my diploma. I will miss him.

-Mark E. Smith

Georgetown Law Class of 1997

 

I was honored to take two classes with Father Drinan while at the law center - legal ethics and international human rights.  What I remember most, and what will stay with me always, was Father Drinan's passionate advocacy on behalf of those who have no voice.  He was an incredibly energetic teacher and, particularly in the context of human rights, always sought to challenge and stretch our preconceived notions of the world.  I am deeply saddened to hear of his passing.

-Anne Bertsch

Georgetown Law Class of 1998

 

When faced with ethical questions, I am surprised to often find myself wondering what Father Drinan would say. Somehow, this man changed the person I want to be.

-Jack Showalter

Georgetown Law Class of 2004

 

I was one of the professor’s children that knew Father Drinan from my trips to the Law School with Dad, Prof. John R. Schmertz, Jr. My brother and sister would play tic-tac-toe with Father Drinan as did many children. He collected postage stamps for them from his global correspondence. I was beginning high school when I first met him. Whenever I was at the Law Center, I made an effort to stop by and see him. He always had an article from the National Catholic Reporter for me and would talk seriously about whatever issues were on his mind. I think he sensed that I would be registering as a Democrat in Maryland at graduation. Father Drinan wanted one of the four of us (or better yet – all four of us) to go to law school and would ask me regularly whether I had been considering it. (Alas, I went into theology.) I moved to the West Coast and was not able to see him as frequently but when he was once speaking at the University of Puget Sound Law School, I asked him to come and to say Mass and speak at the Jesuit high school in Tacoma, WA where I was teaching. Of course, his speech was electrifying. He is a real hero for me – selfless, full of energy, thoughtful, and brilliant. (My sister started law school at Seattle University this past summer – he was pleased.)

-Christine Schmertz Navarro

Daughter, Professor John R. Schmertz, Jr.

 

It was my immense pleasure and honor to have known Father Drinan.  As many have said, his compassion, warmth and kindness were unparalleled.  Shortly after I arrived at Georgetown, I delivered requested materials to Father Drinan.  He enthusiastically ushered me into his office and invited me to sit and talk about my path, my family and my beliefs.  In that instant, I went from a green and nervous new librarian to a member of the Georgetown community.  He was an incredible gift and will be greatly missed.

-Jennifer Davitt

Georgetown University Law Center

 

Father Drinan lived life with great enthusiasm.  He just couldn't live life halfway, whether it was robustly barking like a dog to make my daughter laugh, or bellowing "What are you, an anarchist?!!" at one of my classmates during our Constitutional Law class.  I mean, really, who else but Father Drinan would get that worked up about the Dean Milk case? 

Father Drinan would stop by my office to talk politics or ask me what my "people" (the Supreme Court) were thinking in the latest case.  I considered our talks one of the best perks of my job.  I already miss him, and fortunately just thinking about his enthusiasm makes me smile.    

-Tina Drake Zimmerman

Georgetown Law Class of 2003

 

For me Father Drinan was a beloved teacher and mentor during years when encouragement and grounding were so important, namely, every year since the day I met him! In law school I told Father Drinan that my life's work would be about making the world over using the International Covenent on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights as a blueprint, and he did not laugh; instead, he agreed with me. Father Drinan assured me that I would find a way to pursue my passion for social justice as a full-time career, and he was right. After I graduated from law school I benefited from his tireless work on the advisory council of my organization, and in the last eight years he was my mentor in law teaching. He took the time to congratulate and thank me for my contributions at every step along the path of my public interest career. What a courteous and wise man. I will miss him.

-Beth Lyon

Georgetown Law Class of 1994

 

I come from Boston, Massachusetts and Fr. Drinan and my mother had been friends for many years during my childhood; Fr. Drinan was often in my home. I was a person who listened when Fr. Drinan told me the importance of community because I saw him working closely with parents to establish institutions that would educate the "whole child". I had a letter of recommendation to both Georgetown Undergraduate and The Law Center written by Fr. Drinan and then to have his course in Constitutional Law II was indeed a full circle moment and a  pleasure. I remained close to him visiting from time to time when I was near the Law Center and was deeply moved, as was my family, by his passing. I have newly returned to Massachusetts and will endeavor to bring more of his teachings and his legacy home to Massachusetts where it all began.

-Woodie Johnson, III

Georgetown Law Class of 1985

 

I had the privilege of knowing Father Drinan first as my professor 20+ years ago, then as a treasured colleague and tremendous supporter and advisory board member of the Women's Law and Public Policy Fellowship Program. Father Drinan used to joke about being one of only a handful of lucky men at Fellowship events, which he attended loyally despite the heavy demands on his time and talent. He supported all of our public interest fellows, but had a special place in his heart for our fellows from Africa, taking great interest in them not only during their time at Georgetown but following and supporting their human rights work when they returned home, usually with his latest book personally inscribed in their luggage. He had a way of providing support and help to others, and then thanking them profusely for their work instead of waiting to be thanked for his support. He must have known how much we all treasured his kind notes, attention, appreciative remarks and support for our work, but perhaps was too modest to realize the exponential impact his life and work had and will continue to have in this world.

-Mary Hartnett

Adjunct Professor and Georgetown Law Class of 1985

 

Father Drinan didn't teach ethics through a textbook, he taught it through his life.  I remember sitting in his Professional Responsibility class, thinking I had the upper hand because Father Drinan never seemed to focus on the textbook and I'd heard that he frequently "hinted" at what the final exam questions were going to be on the last day of class.  As a 3L, I took this as my license to goof off.  In retrospect, I realize that Father Drinan didn't want us to read about ethics, and didn't care if we could memorize the canons of professional responsibility for an exam.  What he cared about was making sure that we thought about these issues, and that ethics became a part of who we were.  Throwing out a case name wasn't going to help us get through the thorny issues we face in practice, or in life.

My fondest memory of Father Drinan is of him standing at the door to our lecture hall on the final day of class and shaking the hand of every single student and thanking them for taking his class.  I remember thinking that it was all of us who should be thanking him for sharing his wisdom with us.  I can't imagine Georgetown without him, but I know that his presence will be felt for a very long time to come.

-Melissa Williams
Georgetown Law Class of 2003

 

I was fortunate enough to have visited with Fr. Drinan with my family a few days before Christmas '06. He was in great spirits, working hard (on the Invocation for Speaker-elect Pelosi) and discussing the successful national elections. He seemed particularly happy to meet my children (10 and 14 years old, respectively), whom he had only seen in photographs since my graduation from the Law Center in 1992.

Fr. Drinan was my advisor on my third year paper. It was entitled, "The Congressional Ethics Dilemma: Constituent Service or Conflict of Interest." In an early draft, I proposed setting limits on campaign contributions. Fr. Drinan did not like that suggestion as he reminded me that we have something known as the first amendment in the United States, complete with freedom of speech. He let me know in very clear terms that my proposal violated the first amendment. He persuaded me to change my uninformed suggestion. Through the process of writing my paper, we became friends and Fr. Drinan became a mentor of sorts for me.

Besides my third year paper, Fr. Drinan also guided me in other ways -- unknowingly inspiring career moves. Among other things, his commitment to public service and social service was unparalleled and something that I have always kept in mind when taking on cases, pro bono or otherwise. Indeed, after visiting with him in December 2006 and chatting with him about the war, the Guantanamo fiasco, the election and other topics, I decided to take on a Guantanamo detainee case.

Ironically, I was in the midst of drafting a letter to him letting him know of my work on this matter. I wanted to seek his guidance and counsel on it. Unfortunately, I will not be able to do so. I will miss being able to "bounce" cases, issues, etc., off of him. I will miss his counsel. I will miss him.

While it is a cliche, it is certainly true that the world is a better place because of Fr. Drinan. May God bless him, his family and friends.

-Jim Falvey

Georgetown Law Class of 1992

 

Fr. Drinan stood greeting everyone who entered a fund raising event some years ago for his political action committee, PeacePAC. Within two minutes of our having met, he asked me if I had ever considered running for office. Within another minute, he seemed determined to establish whether state or federal office would be the best bet for my previously unconsidered public service, and he began spinning off thoughts about which of the Massachusetts Congressional Districts would be best suited to my ambitions. In our many conversations since, he impressed me as someone who always got right to the point. World peace was always at stake, and the Kingdom of the Lamb didn't have a moment to waste.

-Dr. Patrick Whelan

Harvard Medical School Department of Pediatrics

Executive Director, Catholic Democrats

 

As a former colleague in Congress of Father Drinan, I nominate him for sainthood!  His dedication to peace and justice was unparalleled.  He just vibrated with infectious enthusiasm for the causes in which he so deeply believed.  Among his many other achievements, he founded Members of Congress for Peace through Law in which I was proud to join him.  I and other colleagues used all our advocacy talents to try to persuade him to stay in Congress, but his dedication to the Church won out.  But her served through the Church and through the Georgetown Law Center as actively and effectively as he had in Congress.  The country, the world, is a better place for his efforts.

-Richard L. Ottinger

Professor and Dean Emeritus, Pace Law School

 

I grew up knowing about Father Drinan - not only a champion of human rights but a champion of his students.   My Mother, Helen Slotnick Kupperman, was a student at Boston College Law School where he was Dean in the 1960s, before there were many women lawyers.   Father Drinan inspired and encouraged his students, my Mom chief among them.  When I was born, the first flowers to arrive at the hospital for my Mother were from Father Drinan.   

-Tammy Kupperman Thorp

Daughter of former student of Father Drinan's at Boston College Law School

 

Father Drinan was a treasure. Two and a half years ago, Father Drinan agreed to speak at a memorial service for a dear law school classmate of mine. Before the service, he asked me to come by his office to talk about her so that he could better give his blessing. I remember well how gently he comforted me when I cried in part from grief and in part from his kind questions.

Father Drinan always greeted me warmly after that and asked his friendly "How are we doing?" My husband and I were on the same flight back from Europe with him a few years ago and I called "Hello" to him from some distance in the airport. He asked me to "Come closer de-ah, I can't see you from that fahr." (Massachusetts always lilted in his voice.) He joked and said that the airline had clearly felt sorry for him and bumped him to first class.

I last saw Father Drinan a few weeks ago just outside of Hotung. The weather had just turned quite cold and I asked him if he would like a ride back to main campus as it was on my way. He seemed to waver for a moment, but thanked me and said, no, he was going to go out for a walk that evening. I suppose that was still the Massachusetts in him talking.

-Anita Padmanabhan

Georgetown Law Class of 2007

 

I had but one personal encounter with Fr. Drinan but it will stay with me forever. Many years ago I was in the LL.M. program at Georgetown studying international law and I arrived early for an evening class. Fr. Drinan had just finished a class and was gathering his materials. No one else was in the room. I greeted him and immediately felt a sense of being in the presence of a truly outstanding individual. He looked up and acknowledged me and said: "I'll be done in a minute professor." I paused to respond and savored the moment but then had to disclose that I was not a professor but rather a student. Fr. Drinan replied: "Well you look like a professor." We both laughed and exchanged pleasantries but it was an encounter that was more than just a matter of courteous communication. It was for me an encounter that I will treasure forever. Good-bye, Father Drinan.

-Thomas Wocock

Georgetown Law Class of 1993

 

Although I am no longer a Jesuit, I came to Georgetown as one. I lived on the same floor of the Jesuit community as did Fr. Drinan. I remember him as energetic and enthusiastic for all that he believed in, notably human rights. Taking on the role of mentor, he encouraged me to write and to publish; for him this was essential to the Jesuit vocation. He, of course, practiced what he preached. I remember him, too, as an inveterate Democrat. Our birthdays are one day apart, and for many years we have marked them in some way. This past year he invited my family and me to the Jesuit community on the Georgetown campus for lunch on November 12, three days before his birthday. He anticipated in the letter of invitation that the Democratic would take over the House and Senate by simply writing "Perhaps we will have some good news to celebrate." And celebrate we did. I am happy that he lived to see the Democrats take control of both houses of Congress. Fr. Drinan was always a Jesuit and a priest first, who exemplified the best of the Jesuit tradition. I will never forget how proud I was of him when he announced his resignation from Congress in response to the papal directive prohibiting priests from holding elective office. It reminded me of the comment of St. Ignatius Loyola, the Jesuit founder, who said that should a Pope suppress the Society of Jesus it would take him fifteen minutes to conform himself to the will of God and to seek the divine will for his future. What an example Fr. Drinan was of of Jesuit detachment. Fr. Drinan enriched many people throughout his life, and I am happy to have been one of them. May he rest in peace.

-Alan C. Mitchell

Associate Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins, Georgetown University

 

Georgetown Law has lost a real piece of its heart with Father Drinan's passing.  He will be remembered for many reasons in the worlds of politics, religion, human rights, and the law. My reason to remember him will be more personal.

Father Drinan was my first contact with the law school after I was accepted as a transfer student in 2003.  I drove over to McDonough one afternoon during the summer with two of my children to see if I could talk to a Con Law professor about the upcoming semester.  The building was virtually deserted.  None of the professors I stopped by to visit were there, and as we came to the last office, my kids shot right past that locked door to its neighbor, which was of course wide open.  Father Drinan summoned the children inside, and me, too.  We talked about my new career at Georgetown, several people we knew in common, and the upcoming elections.  

What endeared him forever to me was that he absolutely refused to let us leave before he found something for the children to eat.  He finally managed to conjure up a bottle of juice and some crackers from some corner of his office, which they enjoyed quite a bit.  After that day, he never failed to ask about my children, and played tic-tac-toe with them whenever they stopped by. His kindness continued throughout my career at Georgetown, both in and out of the classroom.

My fear in transferring to Georgetown Law was that it would be so big and impersonal that I'd be lost there.  Meeting Father Drinan that day dispelled every trace of that fear.  I don't think I've ever been as warmly welcomed anywhere.

-Tom Moore

Georgetown Law Class of 2006

 

Father Drinan is the best argument I can think of for reincarnation. He was outsized in every regard: his belief in the power of law to achieve justice, his compassion, his energy and intensity, his love for all of us and, of course, his passion for the Democratic Party. It is impossible to believe that that spirit is no longer inhabiting the fourth floor--that all that intelligence, integrity, kindness, humor, and vitality is gone from among us. Doesn’t nature abhor a vacuum?

I simply cannot believe I will never again see Bob moving through the halls–always looking like he had a strong wind at his back. Dressed in black, his collar always in place, his hair in some disarray, slightly stooped, and always, always with a moment to talk. He’d take my hand in his and focus on the essential points--he would enquire after my son or mother, and then he would ask me how I thought the Democrats were faring in whatever political crisis was then reigning. Before we parted, he always earned a smile or a laugh.

Bob understood that a community of scholars is a community of people in need, in crisis, in celebration. He found a connection with all of us. He remembered my Mother; he christened my son. He taught Danny the strategy of tic-tac-toe and always had a hug and a kind word for him.

In a time when all one reads about the Catholic Church in the press concerns abuse and bankruptcy, he stands as an example of all that is good about the Church and about our Jesuit tradition. I now understand, in thinking about Bob’s place in my family and the Law Center family and in reading these tributes, that Bob exemplified the essence of this place. He was a caring, gifted teacher; he truly loved his students. He wrote and wrote and wrote, with a keen intellect and great purpose. He believed in the importance of doing, as well as thinking. Bob inspires all of us to live our beliefs beyond the doors of this institution.

Perhaps mentioning reincarnation in a tribute to a Priest is not conventional, but Bob believed in ideas and did not mind listening to a little heresy now and again, if he could set you right (or if he agreed with you). Bob had faith that God is all powerful and merciful. Perhaps, then, God will make an exception in this case. I am sure that I have never known a better person, and we need him back. Short of such a dispensation, I take great heart in the appreciation–and sorrow–expressed throughout the Georgetown community. We knew him, loved him, and recognize that his heart and vision were at the core of our mission. With that conviction, I suppose he is still with us. I have to admit, though, I will always miss his bony figure, warm hand, strong, deep voice, and wry look filled with humor and intelligence and love.

-Professor Julie O'Sullivan

Georgetown University Law Center

 

I am lucky to count myself among the 6,000 law students who had the privilege of taking a class with Father Drinan. Father Drinan had been a family friend for many years and I had been given a copy of "The Mobilization of Shame" prior to attending Georgetown Law. So, I made sure to take Fr. Drinan's legendary class on international human rights this past fall. Fr. Drinan asked all of us on the first day of class why we were there. My response, along with several other students, was that we were taking the class because he was teaching it. He lived up to his reputation - and his energy seemingly wiped away his years as he lectured. One can't look at the world the same way after hearing Fr. Drinan's stories and being reminded of the injustices and atrocities that are going on around the world. His common question to us would be: "What are you going to do about that when you are secretary of state?"

The law center campus was simply not the same today. There was no Fr. Drinan zipping around campus with his overstuffed litigation bag. Nor was he in his office - with the door open wide open and his feet kicked up - ready to talk. I think a previous remembrance put it best, pointing out that Fr. Drinan is in heaven - and heaven will never be the same.

-Greg Carey

Georgetown Law Class of 2008

 

I am a lucky student who sat in one of Father Drinan's last classes at the Law Center. He cared deeply about his students, past and present, and he enjoyed keeping in contact with as many of them as possible. Father Drinan truly hoped that each and every one of his students was happy in their career choices, and he encouraged us to make decisions that placed our loved ones above our career at all times.

This past December Father Drinan remarked how happy he was to receive cards during the holidays from family, friends, colleagues, and former students. He said that he found it especially thoughtful when somebody sent him a card that made reference to the fact that he was a Priest. He cherished the Priesthood, and he had such an important impact as both our teacher and our Father.

Father Drinan enjoyed spending time with his students in class, in his office, and at Sunday mass. I am thankful for the time that I got to know him, but I regret that I will not get to learn from his this semester or see him pack his books into his old, leather briefcase, barely hanging together by a few threads, at the end of my Religion and Government class. I will miss him.

-Trevor Stanley

Georgetown Law Class of 2008

 

As a journalist who attended Georgetown at night, I’m often asked why I went to law school if I had no real intention of practicing law. The answer of course is that had I never gone to law school, I never would have been blessed to have Father Drinan as a teacher. He was so much more than just a teacher - he was part mentor, part advisor, part therapist, and most certainly a friend. And I can’t count the number of times I called Father Drinan in a panic because CNN needed a guest to appear at the last minute on national television. Whether we were discussing the impeachment of President Clinton or President Nixon, legal ethics, or Democratic politics – Father Drinan remained one of the most articulate and fascinating people in Washington. But regardless of his notoriety or his far-flung adventures, Robert Drinan never forgot about his Georgetown family. I’m prouder than ever to be a part of that family.

-Sam Feist

Political Director, CNN Washington

Georgetown Law Class of 1999

 

My first contact with Father Drinan was watching him on the television in July of 1974 as he loudly and strongly sounded his "YEA" for impeachment of Richard M. Nixon.  In 1986, twelve years later I entered Georgetown University Law Center and went straight to his office, introduced myself and thanked him for his vote. Thus the contact was complete and he then knew me.

Aside from having the privilege of taking two courses with Father Drinan during the late 1980s at Georgetown Law, I was also his assistant and helped him compile research on lobbying and political action committees.  It was during this time that I got to know him and to appreciate his wicked sense of humor.  I recall finally feeling comfortable enough with him that I candidly asked him about his decision not to run for reelection in 1980. Expecting an answer that would expose his inner feelings of regret and sorrow for not being a current member of the House of Representations, to my surprise, his response was, "Look soon the pope will be gone and then I will be gone and it really will not matter at all.  Life presents dilemmas and one has to make the best choice possible at that time and then live with it."  No bitterness or anger were apparent at all, just matter of fact.  It was almost as if he had a true cosmic sense of the absurdities in life and that one should just go along with the flow.

Once I left Georgetown in 1989, I had occasional lunches and meetings with Father Drinan but little did I know that my future professional life would bring me in closer contact with him.  In 1992 I joined the ABA Legislative Office and covered international issues.  On numerous occasions, Father Drinan agreed to testify before various congressional committees on the multiple international human rights treaties that were still not ratified by the US. I worked closely with him on drafting and preparing his testimony.  In time I became comfortable in addressing him as Bob, but must confess that I never became totally comfortable with his driving. While on board, it was always reassuring to get confirmation that his insurance was paid and current. I use to joke with him that had he not had such a distinguished career that he would have been a great cab driver.

By 1994 my politics had shifted, and Bob, while seriously and genuinely questioning my shift, was never arrogant or dismissive.  He really tried to understand why I was having such a "crisis of faith with the Democratic Party."  Tried as he did, he never gave up on trying to get me to re-rat (Churchill's brilliant way of discussing the process of when one switches and re-switches political parties).  We continued working professionally through 1998 on various international human rights issues and our friendship grew stronger.  Though it was long overdue, I was delighted that the Law Center in October 2006 had established the Robert F. Drinan, S.J., Chair in Human Rights for his half century of involvement in these important causes.

In addition to my work with the ABA, in 1996 I had begun working with lawyers and judges from Bhutan and helping them secure admissions and scholarships to various LLM programs.  Father Drinan was so supportive of these endeavors, yet he would occasionally rib me and say, "Republicans do not do pro bono work," with the unspoken plea that it was time for me to re-rat.  In 2000, he pleaded that I tell him that I did not vote for George W. Bush.  This is the only time that he truly sounded sad on the telephone when I could not confirm for him what he wanted to hear.  I feared he would at last reject me, but his tolerance contained incredible boundaries.

But the real deep connection with Father Drinan occurred in 2002.  That year I brought my mother, who suffers from Alzheimer's, to Washington, DC to live in Carroll Manor, a nursing home near Catholic University.  From that time forward, hardly a two week period would pass in which I did not receive a telephone call from Father Drinan.  He immediately asked, "And how is mother doing?"  Caring for an aging sick parent is incredibly taxing and Bob's friendship, true concern for my well-being and my mother's was so touching and sustaining.  It was during this time that our discussions became more spiritual and religious and it is these deep conversations that I cherish the most.

His final act of encouragement and support for me came in 2005 when I took on a very difficult pro bono case that had serious dimensions involving criminal, child custody, joint property issues as well as immigration issues.  At this time his calls almost became weekly as he wanted to know the progress of my client's case.  In these calls, he continued to remind me that this was not a typical "republican case" that I was engaged in and maybe it was time for me to rethink my political alliances. I loved his twelve year persistence in trying to get me to re-rat.

When my client was acquitted last April, Bob did not hide his jubilance and enthusiasm. He pointedly said, "Isn't it beautiful when justice works? It is ultimately in the courtroom, not classroom, where the real important legal work is performed."  Yes, Bob it is, and thank you for the lessons and constant reminders of the importance of working for justice for all.

-Rozann M. Stayden

Georgetown Law Class of 1989

 

I first met Father Drinan a few years ago when I called him up out of the blue and asked if he would sign one of his books on human rights for my wife, who was entering the field.  "Come on over right now," he boomed into the phone.  I hurried to his office and ended up staying for a four-hour rollicking conversation that covered politics, law, the Supreme Court, human rights, international developments, anecdotes from Congress, and an exhilarating array of other topics, all punctuated with laughter and warmth.  Father Drinan then insisted on meeting my wife, and he kept in close touch with both of us, sending notes and articles, asking about our three children by name, inviting us for dinner, and reaching out to us in every possible way.  I remember late one night, after a dinner and some wine, he commented, "Religion and human rights have the same basic insight.  Every person in the world is precious and deserves to be respected and protected."  In word and deed, on matters large and small, Father Drinan exemplified this creed and is an inspiration to us all.  

-Cliff Sloan

Publisher, Slate Magazine

 

I was one of the lucky people whose life was touched by Father Drinan.  I came to Georgetown in 2005 as one the Leadership and Advocacy for Women in Africa Fellows after practising as a human rights lawyer in South Africa for a number of years. Quite frankly I was on the verge of burning out, constantly bemoaning the state of human rights in the post 9/11 world and wondering what the point of it all was. And then I met Father Drinan. I was never officially in any of his classes but I was intrigued by my colleagues’ glowing reports of this dynamic priest/activist. So one day I sat in on his human rights law class.  In those short moments my life was changed forever. I saw in Father Drinan all the idealism and passion that I had thought I had lost. Here was this frail looking man who suddenly became a giant, infused with holy energy and wisdom, his enthusiasm pulling us all along with him as he spoke of fighting human rights violations with as much conviction as I had ever heard. The memory of that class stayed with me and I realized that I had found a renewed sense of purpose and that somehow the burden I had been carrying for so long was lighter. During the course of the fellowship year he got to know all of the African fellows and would often seek us out to tell us about some or other exciting human rights talk or activity going on at the law center.  At other times he would simply stop to offer us words of advice or encouragement when he met us in the corridors.  He once told me that we must act against evil whenever we encounter it and those of us who fight the good fight can never afford to become complacent or wait for a better time.  I continue be inspired by his fearless dedication to the cause of righteousness. I know that I am a better person for having met him and for that I am eternally grateful. I shall miss him.

-Mushahida Adhikari

Leadership and Advocacy for Women in Africa Fellow, 2005-2006

Georgetown University Law Center

 

It is difficult to sit down to write about Bob Drinan without tears welling up in my eyes.  I first met him exactly fifty years ago, while I was a graduate Teaching and Research Fellow here at Georgetown Law.  He offered me a faculty position at BC Law in January 1957 which, with my inexperience at both teaching and taxation, I respectfully declined.  Over the ensuing years, he became very close to my entire family.  He taught Legal Ethics to my sons Peter and John during their student years at Georgetown Law and, only three or four weeks ago, interviewed  my grandson Bryan and wrote a letter of support for his application for admission to the BC undergraduate program (which was favorably acted upon within one week of Bob's letter!).  Please know that I share all of the wonderful thoughts you have expressed so beautifully over the past few days.  May he rest in peace!  

-Professor Peter Weidenbruch

Georgetown University Law Center

 

Father Drinan taught me the most important lesson of my life, which is that the best way to serve God is to serve humanity, because all of us are created in God's image. It is easy to say, and very hard to do.  Father Drinan taught the way the best teachers teach, which is by example. May his memory be for a blessing.  

-Lauren Inker 

Georgetown Law Class of 1987

 

A dear friend who preceded me at the Law Center gave me some advice as I was about to enter my first year: no matter what else I chose to do in law school, she insisted, I absolutely must get to know Father Drinan.  What great advice that was!  During my first semester of law school, while working with some classmates to re-establish the Law Center's chapter of Amnesty International, I nervously stopped by Father Drinan's office to introduce myself and ask if he would be willing to serve as our faculty advisor.  As he would do numerous times over the following years, he boisterously invited me to come in and sit down, and as he leaned back in his chair, put his feet up on his desk (I always thought he was going to tip over backwards), he asked me about my family, my background, and my interests.  Despite his busy schedule, he was a steadfast supporter of our Amnesty chapter, sharing his ideas with us, using his many connections to invite speakers, and occasionally even opening up his classroom to our events.  Father Drinan had an uncanny ability to inspire confidence, and to do so in a very personal way.  Upon learning during our first meeting that I was interested in politics, he asked quite pointedly when I was going to move back to my home state of Wyoming and run for Congress - a question that he would continue to ask almost every time I saw him throughout the years.  And Father Drinan - seemingly effortlessly - was able to serve as a friend, role model, and inspiration to countless others whose paths were fortunate enough to cross his.  My friend who first encouraged me to get to know Father Drinan said to me this week that she felt as though she had lost a Great Uncle.  Don't we all.  

-Meredith Rathbone
Adjunct Professor and Georgetown Law Class of 2002    

 

My favorite Father Drinan "personal moment," like those of many others, stretches back many years.  I was about to teach, for the first time, a seminar in the area of weapons control, national security and the like.  After putting the materials together and organizing the topics, I decided to entitle the seminar "Arms Control and National Security."  Unbeknownst to me, Father Drinan had also decided at that same time that he, too, was going to offer a new seminar in the field, and for whatever reason, he decided to name his offering "Arms Control and Disarmament."  Neither of us realized that we were laboring in the same vinyard until the list of all courses appeared.  He told me that a student then came to see him; she was interested in signing up for a course in that area, and was initially a bit confused by the semi-overlapping titles of our two courses.  But she thought she had "broken the code," and wanted to confirm her assessment, that because his seminar included the word "disarmament," while mine used "national security," she guessed that his was the left-wing version of the course, while mine was the right-wing version.  Bob told her that here at Georgetown, we only teach the left-wing version.

-Professor David Koplow

Georgetown University Law Center

 

Scrolling through the dedications and memories on this web page makes one thing abundantly clear: Father Drinan touched the lives of many and inspired endless faith. I have been honored to lead the Journal he founded and supported so forcefully over the past twenty years and I know that all who have been, are, and someday will be involved with The Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics will continue to work hard to make his legacy in this important field endure. Each of us who knew Father Drinan now has an obligation to do what he did so well: to be true to our convictions, to practice law honorably, and to do both with passion, grace, and always with a sense of humor.

-Lauren A. Weeman

Editor in Chief, Volume XX, The Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics

Georgetown Law Class of 2007

 

During my orientation week in law school last year, Father Drinan led about a dozen of us on a tour of the Capitol.  He regaled us with stories of his 10 years in the House of Representatives, including his dealings with Nixon, and his selection of Barney Frank as his recommended successor.   When we arrived on the House floor, Father Drinan was talking about the partisan nature of Congress when he suddenly bellowed, "EVERYONE IN HERE HAD BETTER BE A LIBERAL!"  I'm not sure whether he was joking.  Later, I asked him what his proudest moment in Congress was.  To my surprise, he said that he was most proud of the creation of the ERISA laws.  It took a lot of work, but he felt very strongly about protecting the pensions of those who needed protection.  He was truly an original.

-Ben Schuman

Georgetown Law Class of 2008

 

The world has lost a great human being.  Father Drinan, a scholar, teacher, human rights advocate, and friend to countless individuals, touched so many lives. It was an honor to work with him and share common space in this intellectual community.  He was a man dedicated to
peace and the right of all persons to live in dignity.  He called our attention to injustices around the world and here at home.  It was his view that the least among us be should be protected by the love of fellow human beings and institutions created for that purpose.  Father Drinan never turned a blind eye toward injustice and human rights abuses.  May he continue to live in
our thoughts and deeds.

God Bless.

-Everett Bellamy, Senior Assistant Dean, J.D. Program

Georgetown University Law Center

 

I have had many surgeries in the last ten years, and I was placed in a halo after my first neck surgery in 1996, after a particularly dangerous and difficult surgery.  I received a phone call at Georgetown Hospital, and it was Father Drinan, asking me how I was doing, and did my halo fit properly and was I in any pain.  I was absolutely surprised, and greatly touched that he took the time out of his schedule to not only call me, but stayed on the phone for quite a few minutes, to make sure I was doing all right. Thereafter, like clockwork, Father Drinan would call me every two weeks, for the 7 months I was in the halo, regardless of where he was, and each time I was in for more surgery.  He called so regularly, my family would ask me how Father Drinan was doing!

His phone calls were a lifeline for me, a pleasure, and a support I will never, ever forget.

I also worked with Father Drinan in the Library, especially with the Faculty Scholarship Luncheon, held every year in April or May, consisting of a display of the faculty's recent scholarship, and the publication and distribution of a list of faculty scholarship.  Father Drinan never failed to come by the display, every year, and would check over his colleagues' scholarship, and take great pride in the all the publications.  He would exclaim how wonderful it was to see such great works displayed, and what a "marvelous service" the Library was providing in collecting the scholarship, and showing it off. He barely glanced at his own works, but was keenly interested in everyone else's.

For me, he is everywhere on campus, and in each of our lives, never to leave. He touched my soul, and helped me heal, and I will miss him so.

-Laura Bedard

Georgetown University Law Center

 

Father Drinan was the conscience of the nation and of the world. The SALT community will sorely miss him.

-Tayyab Mahmud

SALT Board of Governors

 

Having been out of town for the last 24 hours, I am slow in expressing my feelings of loss.  But my timing in writing these words has an advantage (for me) -- I have seen the deeply moving words that so many of you have written.  The words of all of us are about our loss of someone we all loved, but they also say something about all of you that I want to celebrate.  This is a wonderful community, and I feel just incredibly privileged to be part of it.

My experience of Father Drinan is much like what many of you have recounted.  We talked politics all the time, and he always asked if I had any encouraging political news to cheer him up (when he of course knew everything I knew and then some).  I will always treasure (because it was so recent) his remark when I encountered him in the hall the day after the recent elections.  "Peter, God answered our prayers," he said.  As Peter Byrne remarked yesterday, it may not have been good theology, but Father Drinan always made everything fit together in a way that worked for him (and for many of us), even if the Pope might not have agreed.

He came to the bar mitzvahs of my sons.  He gave the invocation at my wife's fundraising dinners.  In fact, he worked the room everywhere he went, saying to anybody and everybody, "Thank you for all you do."  I'm sure many people who seldom did anything worthwhile for their fellow human beings went out and did something worthwhile after hearing that from him.

I do have one thing to add to what has been said.  He was our family's personal clipping service.  Whenever someone in my family, mainly my wife, was mentioned in the Boston Globe or Commonweal or any of a number of other publications, he always clipped it out and put it in my mail folder.   I just loved that.  He always thought of others, always. Jeff and Carrie and Sheryll and others have remarked about how special it was to be his office neighbor.  I count myself in that group, if having had that proximity adds anything to the sense of loss we all feel.  But it was a special treat to see him every day, and especially to see him here on a Sunday when things were quiet.  His presence added a sense of spiritual meaning to being here, regardless of why I had come.

I have been fortunate, as perhaps we all have, to have had a considerable list of mentors and role models who have inspired me.   As I get older, few are left.  Bob Drinan was one of that dwindling number.  I'm feeling a big hole in my life from losing him, and I know that's one hole that won't ever disappear.  He was an amazing person.

-Professor Peter Edelman

Georgetown University Law Center

 

I heartily second all the comments about Fr. Drinan. If at all feasible, we should name something here after him.

I came to know Fr. Drinan years ago when I was teaching at the Univ. of Texas Law School, running a defender program, helping with some civil rights cases, and working with the legislature to bring the Texas criminal code into the 20th Century--projects that interested Fr. Drinan mightily.

  

He and my whole family became close friends. He always referred (and still did up to the end) to my wife as "Thelma, your lovely bride" and to my kids as "the Irish twins" (because we met him near the time of their births, 11 months apart).

Even then it was clear he was something special--a real presence and force for good, magnificent speaker, and warm friend.  He subsequently invited us to visit-teach at Boston College, where he was Dean. He went above and beyond the call of duty to make our journey, with two small kids, as smooth and comfortable as possible, arranging for the transport of our car (we went by airplane), and for housing in a grand old apartment of a faculty member on leave. When we arrived amidst one of the worst winters Boston had ever had, with our luggage lost in transit, he took up a collection among the faculty to get us winter clothing for ourselves and our kids.

Anxious to impress and thank the vaunted and kindly Fr. Drinan, we invited him to dinner. Unfamiliarity with the slightly malfunctioning oven in the apartment caused the roast to burn to a cinder five minutes before he arrived. It was a holiday (can't remember which), so all restaurants and stores were closed, as I scoured the town in my car to buy a replacement dinner. Meanwhile, Fr. Drinan arrived.  I finally arrived with a replacement roast, and found Thelma doing a lot of fast talking and Fr. Drinan consoling her over the burned roast, in his usual kindly and humorous manner. He pulled up a dining room chair, which promptly collapsed under him. As Fr. Drinan always had a thin frame, we thought we had killed him. Thelma broke down in tears.

But Drinan, thankfully unhurt, again was wonderfully gracious about the whole thing, which characterized the man. We ultimately had dinner and a friendly, deep conversation about a variety of legal and social matters, peppered with his good wit and charm. But I was sure he would never really forgive us and that we were now definitely "off his Christmas list".

But, miraculously, a few years later he offered me a job working with him in Congress as a consultant/special counsel on Criminal Code revision, which opportunity I jumped at. That was Fr. Drinan. He didn't sweat the small stuff. When he had to leave Congress, I suggested to him and to Georgetown that he should come to Georgetown Law Center, which he did, to the immeasurable benefit and delight of us all for all these many years. We will never forget this man, this force of nature, this benefactor of humanity, whose kindness and congeniality we personally experienced.

-Professor Paul Rothstein

Georgetown University Law Center

 

I was very sad to have learned of Father Drinan's passing.  He shared with me one of the most important days of my life, my Eagle Scout Award Ceremony, in Sudbury, Massachusetts, in 1979.

I was too young at the time to have fully appreciated his extremely important contributions while in political office, but I was grateful he came to this event.  I remember his wonderful speech, his presenting me with an American flag that had flown over the Capitol, and that we had a memorable picture of us taken together with that flag.

That was a very special day for my maternal grandparents as well, as it was one of the last family events in which my grandfather participated prior to his passing.

I saw Father Drinan's name in the news a couple of years ago and thought about writing him then to tell him how special his presence was.  I now certainly regret not following through. However, I do want to convey this sentiment to those who were close to him.

My condolences to all for our loss.

-Marc J. Kaufman

Cambridge, MA

 

One of my memories involves being in Buenos Aires in 1977 or 1978 (I forget the exact year), with the so-called "Dirty War" at its apogee, when Father Drinan arrived as part of a team from Amnesty International to investigate the horrendous human-rights abuses being committed by the military regime ruling Argentina.  The venal press attacked the visitors viciously and suggested they were dupes of the International Communist Movement.  The presence of a Roman Catholic priest in the small delegation was particularly grating, since many in the military and among their supporters were practicing Catholics claiming to be defending Western Christian Civilization as they tortured and killed.  Bob refused to back down or pull his punches, and he went where he wanted to go, despite the very real threat of physical harm hanging over the Amnesty delegation.  (I was advised not to try to see him, because of the danger.)

For Bob, human rights was not just a subject to talk or write about, and he didn't hesitate to put his body on the line.

-Professor Joseph Page

Georgetown University Law Center

 

I first met Father Drinan 7 years ago when I was a production assistant on CNN’s “Burden of Proof.” He was a staple guest on the show whenever we were talking about religion and the law or ethics. And he was always a joy to have on the show – whenever he was a guest, I knew there would be a smiling face in the green room. “Burden of Proof” went off the air in 2001 and it was another three years before I saw him again. In the fall of 2004, as I walked into my very first class as an evening student at Georgetown Law, he was packing up his briefcase from the class he had just finished teaching. He looked up at me and said “I know you” and smiled. After all those years, he still recognized me. He also told me that I had better be sure to take a class with him and I said I would. I unfortunately never got that chance...

Father Drinan was a kind, loving man, and he will surely be missed.

-Heather Goldman

Georgetown Law Class of 2008

 

I am greatly proud of being one of your students in human rights class for the Fall in 2006.

What you talked about will stay in our minds forever.

-Yuki Nagata

Georgetown Law Class of 2007

 

Like so many of us, Father Drinan was a special friend to me.  You may know of Bob's many published works, but in addition he would write thousands of letter each year to encourage and support a diverse group of people.  We had to replace his transcription equipment often, as he just wore them out!  Offering advice, insight and wisdom on many a topic, he always treated everyone the same.  From staff to student to professor, faith in justice was the common thread, and he was ready to help.  How he managed to remember so many names and the details of their lives was a wonder to me.  I'll miss his warm voice, encouraging laugh, and the "Boston Mass" (fast and with an accent)  he did so well.  I thank God for sharing a bit of  Bob's life with me.

-Therese Stratton, Assistant Dean, Faculty Support and Campus Services

Georgetown University Law Center

 

Swimming in the cold sea of law school, sometimes I would flounder. Father Drinan was like a buoy, he always had kind encouraging word and I would be able to catch my breath and thrash on. I took every class he taught and was challenged in a spiritual way. He encouraged a public interest career before there were such supports as OPICS and LRAP.

After law school I visit or run into him and he always remembered my family had lived in his former congressional district and would say, “Don’t you want to go back to Baawston?” He cheerfully provided recommendations and throughout the years stayed genuinely interested in my doings. What a soul! We were all so blessed he was amongst us. My sincere condolences to his immediate and extended family.

-Leslie G. Fields

Georgetown Law Class of 1987

 

As an observant Jewish kid from New York, the deep, often unintelligible Boston accent and the white clerical collar of Father Robert Drinan wasn’t what I was used to in a teacher.  Fr. Drinan’s liberal philosophy wasn’t one I agreed with. And I’ll confess surprise when I saw him good naturedly rib a student alumnus of a rival school to Boston College just prior to a big game. 

But he quickly became a favorite teacher and an inspiring role model who always acted and modeled utmost respect for every individual, even when he vehemently disagreed with them to the point of believing their stance on an issue was morally wrong.  From a different, more genteel era, his e-mails were typed by an assistant who put their initials below his signature which nearly always came “Cordially.”   

When I began my public affairs work, he took an interest in it, especially as it related to Catholic Jewish relations.  And he remained first and foremost a teacher.  He had ease of access to presidents, prime ministers and religious leaders of all stripes, and a full time job teaching law.  Still, he found time last year to cheerfully spend an hour discussing religion in the public square, filled with vignettes of episodes of his extraordinary life, with about 50 high school aged teens on a mission to Washington.  Jewish kids from suburban New Jersey sat stone still and silent as he held court on law, politics, religion, morality and lessons for a good and meaningful life.  And then they gave him a standing ovation and asked to take a picture with him – you can see it here …http://www.ou.org/ncsy/photos/2006/njmission/njmission.html

-Howie Beigelman

Georgetown Law Class of 1998

 

Others have elegantly expressed our universally-shared love of Bob and appreciation of his accomplishments. It's truly amazing that he established close relationships with so many individuals in the Georgetown community--and also with relatives of these individuals. Like most of you, I considered him a special friend-- and one of the most unselfish persons I ever met. My son Barry (Georgetown Law '82) died at age 40 in March, 1998, leaving a wife, Mary, and two young children. Not a week has gone by since then without Bob inquiring about their welfare. Although he had never met Mary in person, he spent hours on the phone with her. She (not he) told me about these calls to Florida and how he had consoled her (as he had with me). And, like all of you, not a week has gone by without my experiencing his warmth and wit and his comments (and my almost universal concurrence) on the fortunes of the Democratic Party during the past Washington week. Of course, his vision and concerns went far beyond the Beltway. Now, more than a week has gone by since our last meeting-- and, like all of you, I sorely miss him. God must surely have a special place for Bob.

-Professor Robert Haft

Georgetown University Law Center

 

I, too, will miss Father Drinan, S.J.  He was always there for me.  I worked for him as the Georgetown Law faculty editor/proofreader for almost a decade.  I enjoyed reviewing Father’s transcribed articles, books, and correspondence.  He answered letters from everyone: prisoners, judges, widows, statesmen, and old friends.  I felt blessed because working for him was so special.  As my sons grew up in the Georgetown University Law Center culture Father Drinan would send them coupons for free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.  They are now alums of Gonzaga College High School.  He was proud of this.  Every Christmas including 2006 he would send a card to me, my wife, Joanne, and “the boys.” In summary, Father Drinan was never too busy to answer a question, write a recommendation, or listen to someone’s plight.  Ironically on Monday, I mentioned working at Georgetown University Law Center to a new colleague, entered the Georgetown website and saw the link to Father Drinan’s obituary.  It is characteristic of a great man to not talk about his pain and suffering.  He was truly a man for others.  

-Frank Tam 

Georgetown University Law Center, Faculty Editor/Proofreader 1987-1997

 

Father Drinan loved all people. We can honor him by continuing with his mission of love, seeking justice and promoting world peace.                                                               

-Joanne Harper-Tam                                            

Georgetown School of Nursing and Health Studies Class of 1976

 

Over the years Fr. Drinan and I had a unique opportunity to develop a special dimension to what had become a deep friendship.  We were traveling companions.  Oh and how Father loved to travel, especially to Boston. But he worried so that we were not reaching our alumni who lived in an adjacent town, Worcester, MA.  Not a week went by last spring when he would not ask, “How was “our” planning for a Worcester event coming along and when were “we” leaving?”  Finally, this past summer we had our trip to Worcester.  He was feted at a beautiful mansion, the Worcester Club, hosted by one of his dear friends, Joe Maguire, and was he happy!  With great delight, he reviewed the list of RSVPS and shared a tidbit of insider information about each person. He raced up to each guest on arrival with one hand outstretched and with a pat on the shoulder or arm with the other – a trademark Fr. Drinan bear hug. With his strong hands, Father would guide the newest guest to meet at least one other person in the room, and he made sure to tell each person why it was important that they should know each other.  “Up and comers” met the “old guard.” Young alumni who lived and worked in Worcester met his friends from the Massachusetts state government, while old friends from Boston College met with alumni from Rhode Island. How did he do it?  How did he remember something about each person?  He had the gift as one of my cousins would say.

But for the first time I worried. Usually Father’s break neck speed left me and other’s trying to figure out where he was going and if we should be with him, or if he was just off shaking hands and trading confidences with one of his pals.  Not this time. The trip was hard on him.  He tired early and after an hour wondered when he could have dinner so that he could go back to the Jesuit residence to rest.  He rallied during dinner and told wonderful stories but still looked tired.  The last I saw of him that night was sitting in Jack Wertzberger’s car with the overhead light on and giving Jack directions back to Boston and the Jesuit residence. When they made the wrong turn out of the parking lot, I smiled and thought “ok, looks like all systems are go and we have another visit to Boston next year.” I can’t even begin to imagine what the Law Center will be like without him. I am sorry I won’t be able to share this last trip to Boston. But I am practicing the bear hug, Father, and wish I had taken notes.

Following is an email I received from a close friend and former fellow in CALS, Paula Johnson. Paula is currently a professor of law at Syracuse.  She reminded me of an encounter with Fr. Drinan when we were fellows together in 1989.

"I heard the sad news about Father Drinan's passing.  What an incredible person.  He was so committed to peace and justice.  Definitely, a man for all seasons.  Of course, you came to mind and brought a smile as I remembered our encounter on the faculty elevator at Georgetown when he came on.  You remember how he just chatted us up, not knowing that we weren't supposed to be on that elevator, and we couldn't wait to get off!  I remember how at the end, he gave us some encouraging words, some nice send-off, and you said "Thank you, Father."  If he only knew!  We laughed for days about that one!  He'll be sorely missed."

-Pat Roth

Director of Alumni Affairs and Georgetown Law Class of 1987

 

While I, like many of us, have my own personal reminiscences of Bob Drinan (which I’ll share below), I first wanted to note a few things about this extraordinary man’s public life which seem to have been left out of the obituaries I’ve read.

He was an exemplary force for civil rights and individual liberties here in the United States, as well as an advocate for international human rights – noted in other brief accounts of his life. While still Dean of Boston College Law School, he participated in the preparation of the report which helped to pass the Racial Imbalance Act in the Massachusetts legislature of the 1960s. He and his co-authors supported the NAACP, CORE and other groups who were attacking racial segregation in the public schools of “liberal” Boston. Public figures like Bob also stiffened the spines of Gov. Endicott Peabody and Mayor Kevin White in their fights with the infamous Louise Day Hicks and the Boston Schools Committee of that era. Ironically, Bob and Ms. Hicks were both elected to Congress in 1970 (she, mercifully, for only one term).

Fr. Drinan went on – during and after his service in Congress – to work inside the American Bar Association, rising to positions in the ABA’s House of Delegates, helping to found its Chair of the Section on Individual Rights and Responsibilities, and then finally serving as Chair of the Section. He then became the first recipient of the Section’s “Distinguished Service Award,” which was subsequently named for him; a series of legends of the bar – John Pickering, Marna Tucker, Cruz Reynoso – have been awardees. As he did in Boston in the 1960s, Bob tirelessly crusaded to improve the justice system here at home, while focusing attention on human rights abuses abroad in his teaching and scholarship. From serving on the commission that yielded reparations to Japanese-Americans for their unjustifiable World War II internment to wading into the controversy surrounding Thomas Jefferson’s famous letter to the Danbury Baptists about church-state separation, he never missed an opportunity to attempt to right a wrong and to weigh in on the side of justice.

Finally, Fr. Drinan endured endless recriminations from the Catholic right and other zealots for his (in their crabbed view) failure to abide by church doctrine. Yet he lived a life that every day served as a rebuke to their charges. Indeed, he was such a good politician because he was such a good priest; and he was a gifted clergyman because he was such a natural politician – genuinely concerned about others and eager to help, spiritually and otherwise. Even the controversies about abortion (which he personally opposed as “equal to infanticide”) stemmed from a failure to discern his fundamentally humane and Christian stance. Most of the fights during his time in Congress related to government funding for abortion. In the words of his successor in Congress, Barney Frank, Bob couldn’t countenance a policy that insisted “life begins at conception but ends at birth.” His convictions were in conflict, but he would not impose an unfair rule on the poor that would not affect the rest of society.

In a Washington that – after he left Congress – became increasingly blighted by public professions of religiosity, totally belied by the actions of those who espoused it, Fr. Drinan was the real thing. I treasure one of his last public statements on this subject: "There is an obvious and sometimes truly pathetic desire of Congressmen to be identified in the popular mind with those individuals who want more godliness in the schools and more fervor in our public piety." Bob eschewed the popular to practice what he preached.

To close on a more personal note, I will always remember his genuine interest in and concern for our two daughters, beginning with questions about the conditions we found where they were adopted in China (he had been on one of the very first Congressional delegation visits there, before normalization of relations). He also peppered me with regular queries about the situation in China, progress of human rights there and what the position of US government (and, perhaps more importantly, Democratic political figures) should be about China. He was tickled by the fact that I had started studying Chinese language at a Jesuit high school and remarked that the Chinese and the Jesuits had at least one thing in common: They both took the “long view.” And, in a line that he had obviously employed more than once, when I asked him – after reviewing for our alumni magazine his then most recent book on the “Mobilization of Shame” – how he managed to do so much teaching, speaking, writing along with his duties as a priest, he quickly replied, “Ah, Jim, in some respects celibacy is a great gift.” It’s a great sorrow to lose him, as a friend, colleague and moral exemplar.

-Professor James Feinerman

Georgetown University Law Center

 

I read with great sadness about Father Drinan's passing.  Although I didn't see or speak to him often, he was a constant source of inspiration for me.  

It was my honor and privilege to take International Human Rights with Father Drinan.  At the time, I was deeply involved in the issue of U.S. ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.  We had many conversations about the CRC and human rights issues, and he always helped me to clarify my thinking.  

I will always remember his enthusiasm when, as Symposium Director for the Journal on Fighting Poverty, I asked him to participate in a symposium on the CRC.  He was a very busy man, but made time to contribute an eloquent and moving speech and article.  So generous.  

I last spoke to Father Drinan a few months ago when he called me to discuss the book he was working on about children's human rights.  Those conversations -- and especially the fact that he considered my opinion to be worthwhile -- meant so much to me.  

I will never forget him.  

-Susan Kilbourne

Georgetown Law Class of 1999

 

When I reflect about Bob and our time here together, I think of his wonderful example of vigorous fidelity. His commitments are well chronicled. They include his Church, his Party, Georgetown University and the Law Center. His major efforts in the law were devoted to issues of human rights and (as if they were not related) ethics. Sometimes his commitments combined in wonderful ways. He loved to visit other countries, and often did so . . . sometimes to teach, but always to learn. Wherever he traveled he represented this university and this law school in marvelous ways. I have often benefited from his work when friends and colleagues in other countries discovered that Bob was my colleague. It is but one way that so many of us have been elevated by our association with him.

Sometimes Bob’s commitments intersected in particularly appropriate ways. A few years ago, he was a primary force in the organization of a moving conference on human rights, which served as a memorial on the anniversary of the assassination of priests and nuns in Central America.

Sometimes, as has been noted often in these remembrances, the intersection of his commitments found amusing manifestations. The fall of 1984 was not a happy time for any Democrat. It was clear from an early point that the presidential campaign of Fritz Mondale would not succeed. But the first debate provided a rather clear victory for Mondale over President Reagan, who was off his game that evening. I saw Bob the next morning. As was often the case, the first topic of our conversation was politics. “Wasn’t Fritz great,” Bob said. “I think we have a real chance.” I was more cautious: “Miracles do happen.” “Right,” Bob smiled, “I am working on it.”

While that particular miracle never happened, Bob’s inspirational contributions to his students, colleagues and friends mean that his work (like our memories of him) will not end.
-Professor Charles Gustafson

Georgetown University Law Center

 

Father told me once that he would accept my invitation to speak anywhere in the US because I had purchased so many copies of his book, Mobilization of Shame.  I have given that book to most of my friends.  Each one of those books was personally signed by him with a few kinds words inscribed.  There is one story that I find quite remarkable regarding his ability to reach out to young people. About two years ago I asked Father to give a keynote speech at an annual ethics seminar at California State University, Monterey Bay (formerly a military base turned into a Cal. State university).  He accepted immediately.  I picked him up at Santa Clara University where he was staying with his Jesuit brothers and we discussed California politics during the entire drive from Santa Clara to Monterey.  He then had a German lunch at my home with my family where he was intrigued by my stepfather’s New York-Catholic upbringing and my mother’s upbringing in the former East Germany.  We then went off to the university where I was expecting a less than stellar turn out thinking that young people would rather be listening to their IPODs then listening to a priest in his 80s.  I was wrong.  The large auditorium was full of students eager to meet and hear Father speak about his view on international ethics in today’s world, the Bush administration, Guantanamo, torture, habeas corpus and the Iraq war.  The panel members were dumbstruck by his eloquence including former Congressman Leon Panetta and the then mayor of Salinas.  After his lecture he took questions from the students and hands flew up as I had never seen before.  The one question and answer that I will remember all the days of my life was from a young Hispanic student who asked “how can we make this world a better place?”  Father Drinan’s answer to her was simple and timeless, “Think, Act, and Pray.” A few simple words to live by for all of us.

-Henry Wolfgang Carter

Georgetown Law Class of 1989

 

All of us a Trinity extend condolences and share grief over Father Drinan’s death.  He was just here on campus to celebrate the Liturgy for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (Trinity ’62).  We have posted his homily on our website at http://www.trinitydc.edu/news_events/2007/012907_fr_drinan.php and my own remembrance of his great friendship at http://www109.pair.com/trinitydc/blog/index.html

Father Drinan was a hero to many, a prophet in his time for so many of us in this contemporary wilderness.  I was always amazed at his clarity and passion, and yet his warmth and concern for each person.  I remember when he first came to the Law Center --- I was a young staff member, he was this great icon, I was terrified of him, truth be told.  But in his wonderful way of including each person he met, he made me feel completely welcome and valued in his presence.  Later on, after I moved to Trinity, no matter how many years had elapsed between the times we met, he always greeted me as if we were close friends and inquired after my work at Trinity with close attention.  When I saw him just two weeks ago, he had the same energy and enthusiastic greeting as my earliest memory of knowing him.  As I thought of him these last few days, I can still hear him booming one of his oft-used quotes:  “Justice will not come until those who are not suffering feel just as hurt as those who are.”   Who will take up his quest for justice in our world?  It will take a vast community to fill the void he leaves.

-Pat McGuire

Georgetown Law Class of 1977

President, Trinity (Washington) University

 

My deepest sympathies to Father Drinan's family, to the Georgetown Jesuit and law communities, and to the worldwide community of friends who claimed, rightfully, Father Drinan as their own family.

I am one of the many (lost) sheep whom Father Drinan guided through Georgetown law school and through life after law school. My memories are more stories of how Father Drinan reached out and touched people’s hearts and minds with his love, compassion, and his zeal for life, for people, and for justice. And of course, his inimitable drive to get done what needs to be done.

I first met Father Drinan in 1992 when I attended the orientation for newly-minted staffers of the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics. He, of course, was full of energy and enthusiasm for the Journal, for the students, and for getting the issues of the journal published ON TIME. He implored us to call on him anytime for any assistance, reciting his office telephone number. He closed his rallying cry by noting that, whenever we heard the oft-quoted Shakespeare line, "First let's kill all the lawyers", we needed to remember its proper context. In Henry VI, he explained, by killing the lawyers, the conspirators believed they then would succeed with their unlawful overthrow of power, having eliminated the defenders of justice. He exhorted us to take up the cause of defender of justice and legal ethics. Inspiring! And, he noted throughout our tenure, getting the journal published ON TIME furthers the cause. Exhausting!

My husband, David Hrdy, and I are among the many couples fortunate to have Father Drinan preside at our wedding; our local parish priests admired our "celebrity celebrant." Father Drinan did not disappoint, of course, giving a beautiful homily filled with inspirational and original takes on the sacrament of marriage. One of my favorite memories of that day is the scene outside the church after Mass: Father Drinan surrounded by admirers, each of whom took turns telling him which sound bite he/she liked best from his homily. For our part, David and I cherish Father Drinan's observation that day that marriage is "the culmination of a long series of miracles." All that he said was powerful; how he said it also endures. We had selected the story of Mary and Martha as our gospel reading; and hearing Father Drinan's wonderful Boston accent enunciate "MAA-THA, MAA-THA” became a rallying cry for my family ever since. So much so that my husband and I named our daughter Martha.

Also as he did for many others, Father Drinan celebrated the baptisms of our three children -- although he didn't technically do the deed because his schedule was a tough one to schedule around! But he always made it to the post-baptismal party. At Martha's party, Father Drinan gave another inspired speech – it was September 2001, just two weeks after 9/11, and, like everyone, we and our assembled family and friends were still in shock. One neighbor asked if Father Drinan would say a few words. Never at a loss and having just arrived from the National Mall where he had addressed a gathering organized by the Peace Corps, Father Drinan took that opportunity – once again – to preach peace and understanding, not war and hate.

Another beloved Father Drinan memory speaks to his patience, his Jesuit-inspired drive for people to come together, and when all else fails, his ability to make that happen. In 1995, when his dear friend and colleague, Robert Pitofsky, was named Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, Father Drinan exulted. And, given that I had just started out at the FTC, he saw an opportunity for me that I MUST take: he implored me, for months, to go and meet Bob Pitofsky. You know, Father Drinan urged, just go to his office, make an appointment, and meet him! Uh, newbie low-level agency lawyers don't just go and make an appointment with the Chairman, Father Drinan. But Father Drinan patiently yet urgently kept telling me to do just that. I think I wrote Robert Pitofsky a note, congratulating him on his confirmation – hoping that would satisfy Father Drinan. It didn't. And so, finally, his patience exhausted by my inaction, he took matters into his own hands. Having just presided at my wedding, Father Drinan took that opportunity to write Chairman Pitofsky, to tell him of the wedding, and to implore HIM to call me and arrange a meeting. And, fyi, Father Drinan didn't tell me about the letter. So, when I got the call out of the blue from Chairman Pitofsky's secretary, requesting a meeting, I thought: "I'm getting fired??? By the Chairman????" Instead, I was treated to an audience with another extraordinary "Robert" who explained why he had asked me to his office. We both talked about how much Father Drinan meant to -- and inspired -- each of us – and marveled at his Jesuit-inspired energy, intellect, and spirit.

Today (January 30), in opening his luncheon remarks before the ABA/Consumer Protection Conference, held at Georgetown law center, Robert Pitofsky delivered a beautiful and moving tribute to his dear friend. I was fortunate to be in attendance and approached him – we had a few minutes of (sad) conversation. If I could tell Father Drinan about this, I know what he would say: "Good job. Now keep it up."

Okay, I’ll try.

-Alice Saker Hrdy

Georgetown Law Class of 1993

 

I don’t think I had made it out of the Elevator alcove in the Gewirz center at my first accepted students event, before sprightly Father Drinan flew (didn’t he travel on air?) over to greet me as if I was an old friend. His interest was so genuine and I was still just an undergrad, yet a treasured friendship was instantly born. To me, as I told a dear friend (tears flowing), he really felt like a great uncle—someone invested in me who I always wanted to make proud.

Among my most cherished memories will always be the dinners we shared. Father Drinan always inquired about my opinion during these long talks and treated it with such respect and importance. The honor of this was never lost on me.

On one evening, we were discussing my new, rescued puppy while riding back to the Hilltop. Father Drinan started talking about his childhood St. Bernard. “What was his name,” I asked. He chuckled, his eyes sparkling, and said in his best Bostonian, “Behrnerd!” We had such a laugh.

Everyone who knew Father Drinan was truly in the presence of greatness—but not the kind that most spend their lives attempting to achieve. Devoid of ego, he was an oasis of the purest, best symbol of the potential we have to heal the world’s problems as lawyers, colleagues, Georgetown graduates, and most especially human beings.

I am devastated by this loss for myself, and all of humanity.

May his memory not only bless us, but remind us to always strive for “greatness,” the Father Drinan way.

-Karen M. Greenwald

Georgetown Law Class of 1999

 

We all have our private Bob stories, but I remembered last night a public story that showed Bob at his finest -- at his finest in a rare moment of failure.  It was about 20 years ago when Bob was invited to give the dinner address at the annual Law Journal year-end party.  About an hour into the speech, as near-graduation students began to drift away for bathroom breaks (never to return), Bob realized that he had lost his audience's attention.  Never the one to slink off, however, Bob merely raised the decibels and shouted his way through to the end, an hour and a half after the start.  I always remembered this "failure" because it showed Bob's best, most adored qualities.  That night showed that there was never an unimportant person or audience for Bob, one that didn't deserve the full energetic spirit that was Bob.  And there was also on display the passionate, optimistic, hopeful Bob -- if anyone was not persuaded, Bob was confident that they were simply not persuaded yet.  (When Bob realized that my wife was a Republican, he never failed to ask about her hopefully, "Any sign of improvement in Kathleen's condition?")  Like our dear John Wolff, Bob had that ageless spirit, energy, and optimism that made you love to be around him. 

-Professor Charles Abernathy

Georgetown University Law Center

 

For Bob Drinan,

So many priests, so many teachers, so many Members of Congress, so many whose essence is the expression of goodness, and so many of those either forgotten or forgettable. 

Not you, my friend.

After the hearts of all who know you have stopped, you will still be written and talked about as a gift to succeeding generations.

-The Honorable Bob Carr

Former Congressional Colleague of Father Drinan

U.S. Representative from Michigan (1975-1981; 1983-1995)

 

For those of us only beginning our legal educations, it is a sad thought that we will not have the opportunity to take a class with Father Drinan.  But even without the chance to know him personally, Farther Drinan’s life still provides inspiration for any aspiring lawyer - to see not only how deeply he affected his students, but also the impact he had on so many other great scholars and humanitarians.

Having only met Father Drinan briefly during our first year orientation, his warmth was immediate and his cheer infectious. He will certainly be missed.

-Kevin B. Goldstein

Georgetown Law Class of 2009

 

I was blessed to have Father Drinan as my independent research advisor during my years at Georgetown Law Center.

With his tireless enthusiasm for the international human rights law, I was able to obtain the Ford Foundation Fellowship with a research on the "International Measures and Strategies for Victims of Japan's World War II Military Sexual Slavery."  Throughout the research, Father Drinan showed great compassion for the so-called "comfort women" who were forced to serve as sexual slaves during the war, but had no legal recourse after the war.  Father Drinan was the one who convinced me that there is (and should be) justice and hope for every human being under the international law, regardless nationality and gender.   

My last memory of Father Drinan was in October, 2004, right before the election.  After giving me his signature hug and kisses, the first question he asked me was "Do you think Kerry can win?"  Not about my family or my career in government.. That could wait, but the first thing first!  He was so worried about the election and was anxious to set the courses right.    

As Prof. David Cole recalled in his memory, I can picture him carrying the digital timer, counting every second until the next election.  I wish I could have been there with him to give an answer, the right one this time.   

-Won Kim

Georgetown Law Class of 1995

 

Father Drinan was my Journal Advisor for the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics. As a non-Catholic black woman, you would think that we would not have much to talk about. But the man was absolutely awe-inspiring. He shared his joys, his worries, his hopes and prayers. He truly lived life, loved God, and fought tirelessly for justice for those who could not fight themselves. Although I have not spoken to him in years, I will miss him very much.

-Jann Nicole McClinton

Georgetown Law Class of 1997

 

I was in one of the last classes of students to take Constitutional Law I with Father Drinan.  It was the semester Bush v. Gore was argued and decided, and, as an evening student with very little time to give to anything outside work and school, I remember feeling fortunate that I had a ready forum in which to hear his comments on the political and judicial events of those months.  Since then, I have joined the group of Assistant Deans advising students about their curricular choices, and I often found myself drawing on that experience in advising students who asked whether to take a class with Father Drinan.  Among the other typical items I always mention when talking with a student about course selection, I always shared with them my opinion that taking a class with Father Drinan was worth it just for the opportunity to be in the same room with such a great person and to listen to him talk-- no matter what about-- on a regular basis.  In case they didn't already know, I usually shared some of the "greatest hits" from his bio with them.  Although I had a sense of them, I never had quite the understanding of his more personal traits that others who knew him better have shared on this site.  Now, after reading all the comments here, it is clear that I had it only partly correct-- he was not only a great person but a tremendously good person, in all the diverse facets of goodness, a character strength which is much harder to achieve than mere greatness.  I wish I still had an opportunity to give that better advice to more generations of students.

-Nancy Chi Cantalupo
Assistant Dean for Clinical Programs and Georgetown Law Class of 2003

 

I first knew Father Drinan as a hero of my dad's, for his stance on human rights issues and the Vietnam War in Congress.  When I joined Father Drinan's Ethics Journal, I met Father Drinan.  I was in awe of him and more than a bit nervous, but he did not let that last long.  I was blessed to take two classes with him during my time at Georgetown.  I cherished them.  I will never forget the twinkle in his eye when he discussed politics or the way he was able to embody ethics for an entire school of people.  I still visualize Father Drinan when I face ethical issues in my practice and he never steers me wrong.  I did not talk to him often after I graduated from Georgetown, but we did speak every 18 months or so.  I was always reminded him of who I was when we spoke and he was always careful to let me know that he remembered me.  He was a remarkable man, whose kindness, spirit and generosity had a profound effect on my legal career and my life.  I miss him.  

-David Donoghue

Georgetown Law Class of 1999

 

I first knew of Bob Drinan when I was a student at Harvard and he was in the news as the combative dean at Boston College Law School. I first met him when I worked on the Senate Watergate Committee and he was the combative U.S. Representative in the House.  But I did not really get to know him until I began teaching legal ethics, and our paths would often cross.  He asked me to write one of the articles for the inaugural issue of the Georgetown Journal on Legal Ethics.  That was in 1987, twenty years ago.  We celebrated that anniversary last spring.  He truly created and then nurtured that journal over these many years.  Sometimes we'd have dinner together at a local restaurant or in the Jesuit House.   He was always knowledgeable, kind, enthusiastic, engaged -- a true gentleman and my friend.  We shall all miss him. 

-Professor Ron Rotunda

George Mason University School of Law

 

While my association with Father Drinan was brief, he left a lasting impression on me.  I met him in the Hotung elevator during my first year.  We were both going to listen to a Russian attorney speaking about Putin's attacks on his dissenters.  Before the talk, we conversed about my thoughts about law school, human rights, and my ideas about the future.  He was the first member of the Georgetown faculty that made me feel encouraged and excited about the direction I wished to pursue.  He went beyond being an objective observer of yet another law student's dreams; he empathized with me.  He shared in my excitement, which gave me hope.  There was nothing in Father Drinan's job description that required this type of mentoring.  I can't help but to assume that it was just one of the admirable facets of the man he was.  I will also remember him for his humility and sincerity.  After our ten minute conversation, he left me with the impression that I had just been advised by a close friend, not an intimidating and extremely accomplished Father, faculty member, and human rights crusader.  I admire him for the work he did, but even more so for the human being he was.  Lastly, I hope I never forget Father Drinan's prayer at the opening of Hotung.  If there is a transcript of that prayer, I would love to see it posted on the website.

-Georgetown Law 3L student

 

I first met Fr. Drinan when I served on the Georgetown Law Alumni Board in the 1970’s.  In the late 1980’s, I had the pleasure of working with him again when, at his request, I wrote an article for the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics concerning New Jersey’s disciplinary system for attorneys.  Most important, in 2000, when I was installed as an Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court, Fr. Drinan delivered a splendid invocation.  Throughout our friendship, his thoughts inspired me and his views on legal ethics provided a steady compass.  I am only sorry he was unable to share his wisdom and faith with us again when I was elevated to Chief Justice last fall.  Fr. Drinan was an extraordinary priest, professor, and person, and I extend my condolences and sympathy to the Georgetown community.

-James R. Zazzali
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey
Georgetown Law Class of 1962

 

I am an LL.M. student here at Georgetown and I started last year attending the mass on Sunday afternoon; after a while one of the things that really impressed me were the charismatic words of Father Drinan and the concept of Christianity involved in each one of his speeches. Especially when Augusto Pinochet died, some person that for us the latinoamericanos, is not well remembered, the words of Father Drinan showed me the real sense of Christianity, when recognizing a Chilenean Jesuit martyr and the violation of human rights by the dictator, he prayed for his soul. I felt myself very strange praying for Pinochet’s soul, but after a while I comprehended the idea of Christian love involved in this prayer. After the mass ended, I met Father Drinan and he asked me about my opinion of the mass; I told him my perception about this prayer and my feelings about that. He explained to me with a few words the idea that we have to pray even for people that we don’t like or we don’t consider good people and the real meaning of Christian love that this consideration involved. Then he asked me about my nationality and my experience in Georgetown and we chatted about other issues. From that short experience, I can say indeed that Father Drinan is one of the most special people I have ever met and time after this conversation a friend of mine told me about his exceptional life and his remarkable role in the defense of human rights in the US and overseas, as well as his career as politician and academic, but these only confirm my initial perception of this exceptional man. God bless his soul, I am sure he is now in the glory of the Lord.

-Mauricio Salcedo

Georgetown Law Class of 2007

 

Speaking from far, right now, I want to say that, in my perception too, Father Drinan contributed to the uniqueness of the Law Center. I will not forget his wonderful way of telling me "Welcome home!", when I would return from Switzerland. He was part of what made me feel like I had found a second home at Georgetown. Of course, Father Drinan also paid special attention to my kids, as so many have noted he did to theirs. He always inquired about them and asked me "When are they coming?!" His generous humanity made a big difference. His critical voice, in recent times, I must add, was also very reassuring for me, as a foreigner.

-Professor Franz Werro

Georgetown University Law Center

 

I first met Father Drinan in the late spring of 1970, having just returned a stint in the US Peace Corps in Costa Rica. Alvin Levin, a secular saint of the left wing of the Massachusetts Democratic Party (and member in good standing of President Nixon's infamous "Enemies List") easily persuaded me to join Father Drinan's 4th Congressional District primary challenge to sitting Congressman, and Vietnam hawk, Philip Philbin, although I had returned home intending to work on a Democratic gubermatorial race instead.  

It proved a storied summer for a twenty-two year old, with a larger-than-life Father Drinan at the heart of it. His young campaign staff were by definition full of youthful ideals, though we were probably too young, most of us, to realise how blessed we were to be working on behalf of a candidate whose tenacity to his own wonderful principles equally matched our own. Father Drinan was--and remained throughout his long and fruitful life--a radical human being and activist who never failed to cut to the root of a cause, injustice, or a needed reform. The impeachment of President Nixon, for example, was more properly about the illegal bombing of Cambodia as opposed to lying about who broke into an office at the Watergate building.  

I remember at one point that political summer telling him how the Irish-American author Edwin O'Connor, author of The Last Hurrah, must be spinning in his grave at the sight of an Irish Catholic priest having emerged from behind the scenes to become the candidate himself. It earned his trademark flashing smile in response, and I may have even told him how I was making notes towards such a novel myself.  

I never got down to that novel, but we remained in touch down the years, and he always responded promptly and warmly to what stories I did publish and would send on to him. We were also in touch in 2001 when I was able to pass on his best wishes to his fellow Jesuit activist Dan Berrigan at an 80th birthday party for Dan here in Dublin. The Jesuits are clearly a broad pew within the Church--room enough for those who work for peace & justice by teaching and challenging the law both. But it was Robert J. Drinan who so brillantly lit up a long-ago summer for me, and whose legacy I don't doubt will shine on.  

- Anthony Glavin

Author and Editor, Dublin, Ireland

 

I first knew of Father Drinan when I him on television during the impeachment hearings during the summer before I went to college.  I did not get the chance to know him as a student; I first met him in person in the when I joined the National Law Alumni Board nearly 20 years after I graduated.  I was a bit in awe of him at first, but after a just a few minutes his gracious and warm manner put me at ease.  At the first meeting of the board -- and at every meeting thereafter -- Father Drinan was focused on the students at the Law Center.  He spoke eloquently and passionately about students, and how alumni might better meet their needs.  Each time he would speak, I regretted not knowing him as a student.  But I will always give thanks for getting to know him when I did.

-Patrick Flinn
Georgetown Law '82

 

Father Drinan was the greatest American that I ever had the pleasure to meet. He should be remembered for so many great things it is hard to know where to start. He was the right man in the right place at the right time, so many times. A strong peace advocate when we were at war. A leader for civil rights when many Americans lacked them. Deeply passionate about justice, and formed the B.C. legal aid bureau. One of the most highly ethical Americans when the country was in scandalous ruin. Fearless enough to file the first article of impeachment against President Nixon for the illegal bombing in Cambodia. Not politically expedient, but the right thing to do. We are sorely lacking that fearlessness now. But as so many of these remembrances will attest, he imparted such a wonderful feeling towards those in his presence. Sadly, this was epitomized the last time I saw him at his nephew Tommy's wake. I was very upset at Tom's passing at such an early age, and he comforted me, when I should have been comforting him.

-Mark Signore

Holliston, MA

Formerly of the Massachusetts 4th Congressional District

 

Over time, with luck, we meet remarkable people.  I have often thought of writing my own version of Gurdjief’s Meetings with Remarkable Men, and Father Robert Drinan, who died last Sunday, would have his own chapter. 

In 1981 I started law school at night at Georgetown Law Center and immediately struggled to find my place and heart for the institution and education.  It was the nation’s largest law school and felt like a grade factory for building future wealth around legal careers.  I had hoped to enter a world where justice, rights and protections were central to study and student interest.  I was soon disappointed and my grades and commitment wavered.

Fortunately, I was welcomed to the Law Center’s Amnesty International Chapter – the first and largest law school chapter in the US – and soon became very involved and motivated to make the most out of law school.   Father Drinan, who had come to Georgetown that same year after the Pope told him to leave Congress, was our faculty advisor and was an inimitable and indefatigable supporter and inspiration.   Whether for our biweekly letter writing campaigns, speaking events or student recruitment efforts, he was always there for us.  And he was always friendly, positive, and so very sincere in his lifelong passion for human rights and constructive activism.   We have stayed in touch since and his life energy and enthusiasm for causes and political engagement only seemed to grow.

Yesterday I went to his wake at the Jesuit Hall residence at the Georgetown main campus.   Seeing him a last time, surrounded by people who loved him and many who revered him, I could not help but feel the strength of his life’s work.  He was the first priest elected to the US Congress, the first to introduce a resolution in Congress to impeach President Nixon, and even out of office courageously continued to speak out such as publicly supporting President Clinton’s veto of the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act in 1966.  But all these legacy accomplishments in my mind were some how much less important than the kindness, gentleness, and infectious passion for human rights he shared with all those lucky enough to know him.  Most of all, though, he leaves us with an example of the dignity of the individual even within an institution as overpowering as the Catholic Church and the personal courage to stand up for all peoples’ rights.

-Kirk Talbott

Georgetown Law J.D./MSFS 1986

 

To the memory of Robert Drinan, S.J. [I wrote the following as a column for the Georgetown Law Weekly on Jan. 20, 2007] Normally, this column is dedicated to complaints or bragadoccio about my lack of work ethic, the proper way to trick a Georgetown Law pop machine into accepting money from a MetroCard, cheese, etc., etc. Right now, I'd like to depart from the low-brow gallows humor to write a few words about Robert Drinan. I first met Professor Drinan my 1L year, at a reception for the Jesuits from main campus hosted by the law center faculty.  Someone foolishly informed me that there would be free food (thanks for the heads-up, Sister!), so I signed up to attend as a student representative.  I was seated at a table with Professor Schrag, Professor Drinan, and several visiting scholars and priests whose names have permanently escaped me.  Fr. Drinan had the unpleasant task of being seated next to me, and had the unfortunate luck to do so on a night where the wait staff was especially diligent in refilling my glass of Jamesons-on-the-rocks.  We spoke at length throughout the evening, about my time in law school, my background, my career goals, etc.  We also spoke about what he was planning to do in the future, and that is what stuck me the most.  Every obituary about him that you've read or will read will emphasize his time on Capitol Hill as a congressman, every blurb will mention his dual role as priest and legislator in the 1970's.  To hell with those obits.  Fr. Drinan was passionate the state of the world, today.  At an age and time of his life where many of us with as many accomplishments as him would have been content to relax, Fr. Drinan continued to put himself out politically and morally.  The attempt by Congressional Republicans to remove the filibuster last year was met with angry scorn by Fr. Drinan, and he opened the Georgetown rally against it with speech that was less polished and yet more honest than most of the speeches of the day, heavy and wet with rhetoric. He spoke out, repeatedly in print and in person, against human rights abuses and what he felt was the willingness by many, Democrat and Republican alike, to sanction torture, the suspension of habeus corpus, and other abuses for political expediency.  I should add a caveat here: I took his human rights class primarily because I heard there was a lenient grade curve.  That idea failed, as I managed to pull a B- in a class where the questions on the final were distributed ahead of time.  Unlike the other classes I've taken where my incompetence has shone through, his actually taught me a few things. First, violating a person's physical sanctity is demeaning to those who do it, individual and government alike.  Second, good and evil are real concepts, but the world does not paint them for us in black in and white; even priests see grey, and the greatest see the most grey. There are those who would demean his intellectual stature by pointing out that his classes have not been the most... linear in their progression.  This is not a fluff piece; I will not disagree with the criticism that his lectures were not terribly organized.  To those who had him for professional responsibility or human rights who felt that (actual quote) "his classes were a waste of time," I wish you could have had a chance to speak to him in person.   He was as observant as ever, and still able to be riled.  I did not take professional responsibility with him, but I learned about ethics from him, informally yet concretely.  One of the questions I've often asked myself is in the form of a thought experiment: "What side would I have taken in the Spanish Civil War?"  As a Catholic (if an especially faulty one), I sometimes fear that I would have sided with the Fascists, due to Franco's professed piety and defense of the Church. After speaking from Robert Drinan, S.J., I have no doubt in mind that he would have opposed them. His two recent books, "Can God & Ceasar coexist?" and "The Mobilization of Shame" were about the state of the world, today.  The former (and more recent) book was about the interaction between religion and government, a subject of which his viewpoint will be simplified or assumed ad nauseum, but was very nuanced and complex. The latter book was about the international human rights movement, his most passionate cause.  To all the ink spilled on the Catholic viewpoint regarding the headline-grabbing topics of birth control, abortion, sex, and homosexuality, Fr. Drinan reminded us that being a Catholic means caring about human dignity in general, opposing even politically-expedient torture, fighting for the freedom of conscience for people of ALL religions, and the importance of dialogue. Fr. Drinan, it must be said, was persona non grata to many conservative Catholics.  He was an unabashed liberal, was against the Vietnam War, was the first congressman to call for Nixon's resignation, and opposed governmental bans on abortion.  The website of the Cardinal Newman Society, a conservative Catholic organization, linked to a story that mentioned none of his human rights work, and none of his international accolades; to them, he was merely the "partisan" Jesuit who "defied Rome."  Thank God that sometimes defiance is obedience. I was privileged to be present at Fr. Drinan's last mass as celebrant here at the Law Center.  I was privileged to be a student of his.  I am privileged to have him as an example to follow.  I hope I have the courage to be defiant. -Mark Nabong Georgetown Law Class of 2007   Father Drinan was a friend and mentor to me. I worked as his research assistant for about a year and helped him with his final book, Can God and Caesar Coexist?  He always impressed me with his seemingly boundless energy and his incredible warmth.  He always made time to chat with you if you dropped by his office, even if he were busy preparing for a class or a distinguished lecture somewhere.  As others have pointed out, he also always inquired about your loved ones.  Father Drinan was a dedicated correspondent. As his research assistant, one of my duties was to assist him with his filing.  He made a point of responding to mail that he received--and because he knew everyone, he received a lot of mail!  Whether it was responding to a hand written note from Nancy Pelosi or to an email from a former student who had just had a baby, he loved to stay in touch with his many, many friends. I am glad that I was one of them. Father Drinan and I, although we were of different faiths, also shared a love of God.  The message of the Gospel--to preach good tidings unto the meek, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, the opening of the prison to them that are bound, and to comfort all that mourn (Isaiah 61:1-2)--was something that he understood on a very concrete level and something to which he dedicated his life's work.  He was a great example to us all. -Matthew Archer-Beck Georgetown Law Class of 2004   Roberta and I first met Bob Drinan at the dinner for new faculty, the year I joined.   He greeted Roberta: “My dear, you look even better in black than I do.”   It was a show-stopper Roberta hasn’t forgotten, despite the passage of eighteen years, and we recalled it again when we learned of Bob’s death.    Once I’d arrived, Bob and I chatted daily.   We had a common meeting place, and we visited it with increasing frequency as we grew older.  (Of all Bob’s extraordinary qualities, the only one I can claim in common was a remarkably synchronous timetable.)   Each time we met, he’d greet me with his patented line: “Tell me something good that’s happening.”   He meant something political, of course.   At first, I was surprised that a political pro like Bob thought there was any information a rank amateur like me could provide.    I soon realized that indeed there wasn’t anything I could impart that he didn’t already know, and he didn’t expect me to.   Rather, he was providing me the opportunity to gossip with a pro as if I were an insider.   It was just one more of the infinite acts of generosity he bestowed upon all around him. I still make those frequent trips to our common meeting place, but each time now with the awful realization that Bob won’t be there.    He was a wonderful man, in small things day-to-day as well as the grand ones that made him famous.   -Professor Michael Gottesman Georgetown University Law Center   In 1970 I was a second year law student of Father Drinan’s at Boston College. He introduced me to one of his campaign workers, Anne Goggin. Father Drinan, and his passionate opposition to the war in Vietnam, his eloquence and caring, his devilish sense of humor, brought Anne and me together. He was with us five years later when we were married in Woodstock, Vermont. And he has been in our hearts and minds and soul ever since. Father Drinan is the role model that we reference when we talk to our children about character, integrity, passion, selflessness, honor, compassion, commitment, and hard work. We talk about him often in our home, and we are always humbled by his unrelenting passion, his intelligence and caring, his tireless championing of the underdog. We have never met a finer, more decent human being than Father Drinan.   He is with us now in our thoughts and conscience, guiding us, helping us to follow his path of fairness and decency, thoughtfulness and generosity. We loved him then, and we love him now. We are honored and privileged to have known him, and we thank him for all that he has brought to our lives.   John L’Heureux, writer, teacher, former Jesuit, said, “A friend is someone who leaves you with all your freedom intact but who, by what he thinks of you, obliges you to be fully what you are.” That is Father Drinan’s great gift to so many of us; he left us with our freedom intact, but obliged us to be fully what we are.   We celebrate the life of this extraordinary human being. -John Hurley Boston College Law School, Class of 1971 -Anne Goggin Boston College Law School, Class of 1975   I was blessed to know Father Drinan from the 5 o'clock Mass he performed every Sunday at the Law Center. Even recently, when it was clear that it was quite physically challenging for him, he arrived every week and shared wonderful sermons. He gave a homily on marriage this fall that was such a beautiful vision of the sacrament that it brought tears to my eyes. As I helped him clean up afterward, he asked what I had thought of his words, and if I was "engaged or anything." I told him that I was not, but that my boyfriend and I had been talking about it. I missed the Law Center Mass the next weekend because my boyfriend had proposed and we had gone to visit my parents, but the following Sunday, ever-observant, Father Drinan stopped me after Mass, looking at my ring finger, and said, "You got engaged! Congratulations! You should bring him here, I want to met him." His loving attention to others, his memory and uncanny understanding of where others were in life, and what they needed it was saintly. -Georgetown Law 1E student   A man of inspiration, caring and memory. I was a professor at Georgetown University Law Center from 1987-1998.  Father Bob Drinan was my colleague during that period.  He was always warm and supportive.  He kept me on my toes about current events.  I knew that if I popped into his office I had to be prepared to comment on the latest events on the Hill or in the courts. When my brother Michael Allen became a student at the Law Center, he took a shine to Father Drinan, who stoked his interest in legal ethics.  When Michael graduated from the law school, I threw him a party.  Father Drinan came to my home and helped us celebrate with family from out of town. He fit right in!  Just a few days before his death I received a remarkable letter from Father Drinan.  He had not seen me for nine years.  But he wrote me an encouraging, personal letter. A man of the world, 86 years old, took the time to write to me!   He asked after the health of my disabled child.  He expressed joy that my brother Michael was experiencing professional success, and implied that Michael’s recent conversion to Catholicism had put him on a course to future successes.  The humor, the fidelity to belief, the concern.  This world has lost a good man, a very good man.    -Anita L. Allen University of Pennsylvania Law School   I first heard about Father Drinan when I was in high school, not very long ago. Those of you who aren't as young as me might be surprised to learn that he's already in our history books.  I barely remember the unit we were covering in my high school American History class, but I distinctly remember learning about the anti-war Jesuit priest elected to congress, and forced out by papal policy. I had no idea he was still active, or a professor here at Georgetown Law, until I saw his name on the list of tour guides leading 1Ls on trips around DC last September.  I was surprised to see that this giant was still around, and even more surprised, a few weeks in, when I figured out that this giant was the same unassuming priest presiding over the 5 pm student masses. Like every other 1L, after arriving on campus it was hard for me to connect the substance of our studies with the substance of our pre-law dreams, but I'll never forget the first of his homilies that I heard, because it reminded me of why I came to law school.  We had just been pampered days before at the first of many fancy receptions, something I'm not used to, but he reminded us that "We must have a preferential option for the poor."  He challenged us to be lawyers for more than ourselves, and I distinctly remember him using that 'we' that's been mentioned before.  He was a giant, and he was one of us, and he urged us all to be giants. His masses, like the best masses, were intimate, and those of us who attended felt true community with each other, and true desire to be together. I've never been one for flowery language, and loved his constant, plain-spoken challenges, and his weekly urging that we be better tomorrow than we were today.  It's hard to describe Georgetown Law to my family, but my parents and my grandma heard more than their share this fall about Fr. Drinan. I wish I could have grown to know him better, but it never mattered to him that we who attended his masses were young and small.  He served us on many levels, but to me, he will always be a priest, a simple servant who did what he could do, and never stopped doing it. -David Freeburg Georgetown Law Class of 2009   I didn't know Fr. Drinan well, in the sense of having regular encounters wih him, but I have known him for a long time -- for all my adult life, in fact. I first met Fr. Drinan while he was Dean of the Boston College Law School, and I was a sophomore in the College, taking up an editorial position on the campus newspaper, The Heights. In those heady days, the last gasp of the 60's, the paper and the university administration were frequently at loggerheads, or even at "daggers drawn"; Fr. Drinan's patience with the excesses of youth, wise counsel (both legal and otherwise), and (no doubt, although we were never privy to it) timely interventions with university authorities, helped more than one of us, and The Heights as an institution, survive those "interesting times." We who were beneficiaries of his generosity as a professor and administrator rejoiced to become his constituents when he went to Washington. We wept bitter tears when his political opponents made a successful end run of the democratic process, and prevailed on the Vatican to compel him to stand down from a congressional seat that I think would otherwise still have been his at his death. Most importantly, we learned from the example of his humility and obedience in the face of that directive, and of his subsequent successes in advancing the causes close to his heart, that the Lord really does move in mysterious ways, his wonders to achieve -- and that you really can't keep a good man down. I reintroduced myself to Fr. Drinan last year as a sadder but wiser part-time LL.M. student, returning to the academy after too many years as a practicing lawyer. He picked up where we had last left off, without missing a beat -- a wise counsellor, a firm friend, a true priest. Where will we find his like again? -Mark Herlihy Georgetown Law Class of 2007   I met Father Drinan very briefly one time on a visit to Boston College and knew him from his television appearances and various reports of his work for peace and human rights. Although I did not know him personally, I will always be grateful that he chose to serve for a time in Congress where he could use his keen intellect to fight for human rights, intelligent dialogues among peoples of diverse backgrounds, and peace and justice work. Hopefully, current and future congressional leaders will have courage similar to his to work toward truly honoring the garden of Eden we inhabit on this earth and engaging in wise conversations with the leaders of other nations so that all can proceed from a vision of beauty and love.    -DC Pekin Massachusetts   A constant refrain has run through my mind this week, which is the first line of W.H. Auden's poem on the death of Yeats: "He disappeared in the dead of winter."  For someone like myself who shared the fourth floor hallways with him, Bob indeed seems to have disappeared, as if some elemental force has vanished from the atmosphere.  I never realized how intensely palpable an absence can be. My encounters with Bob were often in those hallways.  I would see him charging toward me, like energy itself dressed in a clerical collar or a plain white shirt and tennis shoes.  We both typically were on our way somewhere else, two people sharing a space and a few moments on a busy highway.  It pains me to say that sometimes my mind was half elsewhere as well, focusing on the destination ahead.  Bob, however, with places to go and things to do far more important than mine, was always there, always present in a way that few people ever are.  We talked of many things, but one thing that always struck me was how he never forgot that we are educating future lawyers.  He was intensely interested in the dramatic changes that are roiling the practice of law today, and what they might mean for the role and self-understanding of its members.  He made a point of ensuring that the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics devoted space to a collection of commentaries on a recent book of mine on the profession, and never failed to ask me what lawyers were saying about it.  For Bob, being a lawyer meant becoming part of a tradition whose complexities and aspirations never failed to move him.  The Journal is of course a testament to his abiding belief in the possibilities of this tradition, as are the legions of students whose professional lives will carry the imprint of his idealism.  The fact that it was students who served as the pallbearers at his funeral yesterday may be the most eloquent tribute to his life as a teacher of future lawyers. Another line in Auden's poem says, "Now he is scattered among a hundred cities."  In some deep irrational part of me, I always thought that Bob would live forever.  Having seen the outpouring of emotion upon his death, I'm even more certain now that he will. -Professor Milton Regan Georgetown University Law Center   Father Drinan encompassed all those qualities that he advocated a lawyer should aspire to be, and more.  He embodied compassion and reasoned thought which didn't check but instead fed his passion to do justice for the noble goals and convictions he held.  I can't imagine man who better exemplifies what Georgetown Law Center tries to instill in its students.  He will be greatly missed and my thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. -Victoria Taylor Georgetown Law Class of 2007   We were graced in having Father Drinan among us for so many years.  Few people are so warm, generous, wise, energetic, charismatic, and holy.  For nearly two decades he served on the Board of the International Labor Rights Fund, and I vividly recall his wise counsel during the early years of that organization.  When I taught at Georgetown Law Center in 2003/2004, I enjoyed the opportunity to stop by his office now and then for a visit.  I join others in saying that I will treasure my memories of him. -Professor Steve Charnovitz George Washington University Law School   My first memory of Fr. Drinan was in January, 1977, on the day I was sworn in as a new Member of the U.S. House of Representatives.  Shortly before the swearing in ceremony on the House Floor, Fr. Drinan darted over to me, pulled me by the arm and took me to a group of U.S. Male Member of the House of Representatives.  (He must have read a brief biography of me which stated that I had a Masters Degree from the Jesuit Institution, John Carroll University).  He said to my male colleagues, "this is Mary Rose Oakar who has a Masters Degree from John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio.  See!  I told you Jesuits educated women."!    After that first day, I followed the leadership of Fr. Drinan on many issues, but most importantly the issues affecting human rights and justice which were part of his oversight as a Senior Member of the House Judiciary Committee.  His legacy and contributions in all fields will last forever.    -The Honorable Mary Rose Oakar Former Congressional Colleague of Father Drinan U.S. Representative from Ohio (1977-1993)   Father Drinan was my fourth-floor neighbor for all of the years I've been at Georgetown.  When the halls were quiet, the place seemingly empty, I could always count on seeing Father Drinan at the end of the hall, moving so fast and with such purpose that I stopped wondering what I was doing here and simply got back to work.  I wasn't surprised to hear, at yesterday's funeral, that Father Drinan was known to say "I do not rest during daytime."  I sorely wish I could still gain inspiration from seeing him at work, but it is good at least to have these words to repeat to myself when I am tired or discouraged.  Contemplating Father Drinan's life this week, after his death, makes me want all the more to try to do good works in my own sphere, at some small fraction of the level he did. -Professor Lisa Heinzerling Georgetown University Law Center   Characteristically, Father Drinan went out of his way to welcome me to Georgetown when I joined the faculty three years ago. My office is down the hall from his, and one afternoon he walked in unannounced and struck up a conversation. He wanted to know about my background and what I was working on. Naturally, I was flattered that someone of his stature would take the time like this to get to know a junior colleague. I chalked it up to a generous spirit, but I fully expected that our contact thereafter would be limited; Father Drinan would have extended a collegial welcome, but then understandably become preoccupied with more important things. I had no idea how mistaken this was. Over the next few years, we saw a lot of each other, particularly because both of us often worked at the law school in the evenings and on weekends. He made it a practice to stop by regularly for a quick chat or just to say hello. Sometimes these brief exchanges grew into longer conversations. We became close and had what for me, at least, were many stimulating discussions about politics, ethics, religion, and law. One day, Father Drinan popped into my office with a grin on his face. He had just returned from a visit to my hometown (Toledo), where the local bar association had honored him with yet another award “I met your family” he said, much to my surprise. It turned out that my sister and niece were at the same event to collect a prize of their own, on account of an essay my niece had written on protecting civil liberties during wartime. Wowed by Father Drinan’s remarks that day, they spoke with him afterwards and asked if he knew me. Sure enough, he took the opportunity to say some undeservedly nice things about me to them. Thanks to Father Drinan, my niece now thinks I am cool (or, perhaps more accurately, a bit less uncool), and my status at family gatherings has been unjustly enhanced. Later on, when Father Drinan learned that I was raised Catholic and attended a Jesuit high school, our relationship grew closer and his hallway greetings became more focused: “What do you think of the new Pope?” he would ask. “What do you think of so many Catholics on the Supreme Court?” “Wrong kind of Catholic” I would reply, and he would laugh and nod his head approvingly. I never told him that I was “lapsed,” but I think that he knew and didn’t really mind. I have many other fond memories of Father Drinan, particularly a dinner we had together at the Jesuit residence, when among other things we discussed the Bush administration’s circumvention of FISA, a topic that greatly concerned him. I too find it hard to believe that he is gone and that our hallway conversations will never be repeated. In thinking of how to capture his essence, a favorite passage from Bertrand Russell comes to mind: “Those whose lives are fruitful to themselves, to their friends, or to the world are inspired by hope and sustained by joy: they see in imagination the things that might be and the way in which they are to be brought into existence. In their private relations they are not preoccupied with anxiety lest they should lose such affection and respect as they receive: they are engaged in giving affection and respect freely, and the reward comes of itself without their seeking. In their work they are not haunted by jealousy of competitors, but concerned with the actual matter that has to be done. In politics, they do not spend time and passion defending unjust privileges of their class or nation, but they aim at making the world as a whole happier, less cruel, less full of conflict between rival greeds, and more full of human beings whose growth has not been dwarfed and stunted by oppression. A life lived in this spirit—the spirit that aims at creating rather than possessing—has a certain fundamental happiness, of which it cannot be wholly robbed by adverse circumstances. This is the way of life recommended in the Gospels, and by all the great teachers of the world. Those who have found it are freed from the tyranny of fear, since what they value most in their lives is not at the mercy of outside power.” For me, Father Drinan embodied this spirit. Like others, I stand in awe of his achievements and am grateful to have known him. -Professor John Mikhail Georgetown University Law Center   On behalf of American University Washington College of Law, I offer our heartfelt condolences on the passing of Father Robert Drinan, to the Georgetown community and to Father Robert Drinan's family and friends.  Below the resolution that our faculty unanimously passed upon learning of Father Drinan's death: RESOLUTION OF THE FACULTY OF THE WASHINGTON COLLEGE OF LAW The faculty of American University Washington College of Law deeply mourns the passing of Father Robert Drinan, a towering figure of the human rights movement.  Father Drinan was a steadfast advocate and leader in the protection and promotion of human rights and social justice.  He touched many lives and inspired countless others to contribute to the struggle to create a better world.  Many members of our community knew Father Drinan personally, and the strength of his example and life has inspired important developments in the human rights initiatives of our law school.  The faculty of American University Washington College of Law extends their condolences to Father Drinan's family and friends and to the Georgetown community.  Unanimously adopted by the WCL faculty on Monday, January 29, 2007.  -Dean Claudio Grossman, American University Washington College of Law Raymond Geraldson Scholar for International and Humanitarian Law   I first met Father Drinan in 1988, when he asked me to speak to his Professional Responsibility class about my experiences as a bar prosecutor. He invited me back several times over the next few years and always followed up with a thank you note. Each note generously commented on the talk and the student reaction, exhorted me to write for the ethics journal, and was signed "Bob" as if we were equals. Sometimes he would thank me for "putting the fear of God" in the students. I have and will always treasure each note. When I joined the adjunct faculty at Georgetown, I was fortunate to be part of a regular lunch group that included Father. We would disagree over course content, with me favoring teaching how to handle client funds and Father favoring inspiring our students to be better citizens. On reflection and with the benefit of experience, I now see that he had the better of the argument. In 2001, I came to Georgetown on a fulltime basis and was assigned an office two doors down from Father Drinan. Our shared interest in legal ethics and his beloved journal put us in daily contact. Father Drinan was the most admirable and loving person I will ever know. A "Hi, Mike" or hallway discussion of current events made my day. Father always gave you a part of himself and always cared what you felt and thought, whether you were a visitor who stopped by to meet him for the first time or the President of the United States. When my Jewish son marries his Catholic love, I always expected that Father Drinan would be there to officiate. I know his spirit will be. We were all blessed beyond measure to know this great and humble man. His shining example will always inspire those who knew him and future generations who learn of his life and works. -Michael S. Frisch Georgetown University Law Center   It cannot be less said than that the death of Father Robert Drinan, S.J., was momentous. Why did this man turn into an earthquake when he expired? Well, because he was another St. Francis. Why should the 15th century have a monopoly on Christlike figures. What made Fr Drinan Christlike? First of all, because he impacted each and every person he met with a nuclear force. He got all the details in the life of an acquaintance and he built on them with visits, phone calls, gifts and the widest band of communication imaginable. He had help. He was a Jesuit for whom every human being is a life force to be loved, educated, organized and converted into a dynamo in favor of those principles which are born in Heaven and dedicated for the goodness and happiness of every person on earth. The memories of Father Drinan recall that he was the first congressman who files his action to impleach Richard Nixon and his proposal had nothing to do with Watergate. What outraged him was the attack on Cambodia. It was beneath him to defend the office of a political party. But to come to the aid of a very small Asiatic country that had a few million people----that was the victim he would fight for. When he was hired at the law school, he chose as a monumental effort the battle for ethics and, voila, the law journal was born. What could have pleased Father more than to defend morality and who needed to be taught such discipline of honesty more than law students and lawyers? Now he is gone. But that is not true, he is not gone. There are thousands of people that know what he is like and who will be guided all their lives by the imprint of Father's example, his homilies, his books and articles, by every action he took every day of his earthly existence. And thousands of people who have never met Father Drinan will learn about him and what he stood for in the years and decades in the future. -Ted Saker A.B., '43, John Carroll University Georgetown Law Class of 1947   I met Father Drinan back the early 70's when he was running for Congress - it was a tumultous time politically and I was a college student in Boston. My mother was involved with his campaign and I attended several fundraisers where he spoke - his calm impassioned plea against the Vietnam War, his intelligence and his humor will remain with me always. I only wish I had encouraged my daughter Rebecca, GU Class of 2006, to meet him while she was a student. -Kristen Brandfass   The National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) valued Father Drinan as a man of vision and courage who helped found and form the NCLC in the late 1960s and early 1970s. More recently he was pleased to serve as Honorary Chairman of our Partners Committee. When NCLC was created in the earliest days of the War on Poverty under President Lyndon Johnson, it was one of the first national support centers formed to help legal services attorneys, and it was formed at Boston College Law School while Father Drinan was its Dean. When your author would talk with Father Drinan in later years, he would always point out with pride that he started the NCLC. He was chagrined that the NCLC left Boston College (a fact he blamed on Boston College's pressing a demand for too large a share of our budget), but clearly took great pleasure in the fact that the NCLC had grown in stature and effectiveness over the years as a voice for low-income consumers, and even thrived out from under the legal services umbrella. He treasured this as a significant part of his legacy. He also used to spin the story of his role in the creation of the Legal Services Corporation. This was in the days when President Nixon along with certain allies wished to defund legal services altogether. At the time, legal services was simply another program as part of the federal bureaucracy. A great compromise was fashioned after contentious Congressional hearings in which then Congressman Drinan played an important part. He helped fashion the bill that created an independent Legal Services Corporation in return for some restrictions on grantee activities, restrictions that turned out to be benign. His punch line was always this: the Legal Services Corporation Act was the last bill signed into law by President Nixon on the very day he left the White House for political exile. Drinan never said it this way, but I think he enjoyed the irony that something so antithetical to Nixon's politics came forth on the day Nixon resigned the Presidency in disgrace. Father Drinan was a gentle man with an unparalleled life as a principled public figure and moral leader. The National Consumer Law Center (and legal services) is just one of his many many legacies that continue to touch the lives of people across the country. The notion that our work somehow has honored such a good person is a very satisfying feeling. -Will Ogburn Executive Director, National Consumer Law Center   Father Drinan was a true revolutionary and cadre in the fight for human rights in the United States and globally. Here is a man who in his quest for justice and at the risk of ostracism at times rebelled against the Washington establishment in countless works including "Mobilization of Shame". He was a great joy to know and a wealth of knowledge. -Kevin Malunga Georgetown Law Class of 2002   “Give me your wisdom”- these where the words that a student on call used to hear from Father Drinan every class… He was a man of a great wisdom and great kindness. He is the one, who will always stay in our hearts and in our minds. We will treasure everything that we learned from him. I remember the very first days at Georgetown Law, when Dory Mayer was helping me, a foreign student, with the courses to choose. I was already enrolled in one human rights class, but Dory suggested that I’d switch to Father Drinan’s class. She said: “Choose not a class, but a Professor.” How much I appreciated her advice! After graduation, I asked Father Drinan to write a letter of recommendation for me. In just one day I received his letter, which now has a very special meaning for me. At the alumni reception, Father Drinan met me with a smile and said: I remember you, you are from Uzbekistan.” I believe his every student had a special place in his big heart… Our great Teacher, we will always remember you. -Lada Mirzalieva Georgetown Law Class of 2004   Twenty-three years ago I arrived at Georgetown Law. The very first visitor to my office on my very first day in the very first hours was Fr. Drinan. He came to introduce himself and to welcome me on board. Throughout the years he had been a firm support and collaborator with me and the other campus ministers. Though he is already and will be dearly missed, his legacy will continue to inspire students, faculty and friends for years to come. God grant you Memory Eternal, Bob, and may that memory be a blessing for all. -Father Alexei Michalenko Catholic Chaplain, Georgetown University Law Center   The sad news of Father Drinan's death reached me in Europe and made me realize how much depth and humanity there remains in our nation--in this case represented by the son of the Irish immigration. Bob was a New Englander and I was one by adoption, and I could readily imagine what it was like when as a seventeen year old he was taken to Back Bay Station by his family and put on the train for the Jesuit seminary  in Lenox. One of the great pleasures of my years at Georgetown were the frequent talks with Bob ("What's new?") and I learned a lot from him, too, about Holy Church. At one point when I was travelling regularly to Rome, he invariably asked, "No doubt, the Holy Father was asking after me." I greatly admired his painful decision to stay in the Jesuit order and give up his seat in the Congress. Bob felt that he owed much to the Jesuits and did not wish to leave a group which had become family for him. Indeed, one of his most endearing traits was his capacity to make so many feel as if they were family of his. We have lost an unforgettable member of ours. -Professor Emeritus Norman Birnbaum Georgetown University Law Center   At a recent memorial event in Newton, Massachusetts for Fr. Robert Drinan, I gave the talk below which I was encouraged by his family and friends to provide for your remembrance site.  It provides the background for his entering Congress. One of the highlights of my life was the unanticipated opportunity in 1969 to change the course of events in this Congressional district, in this state and in the nation.  Then as now, there were a number of groups opposing the unwinnable and unjust war in which the U.S. was involved.  Another similarity was that our Congressman had been in office for 26 years; but the biggest difference, of many, from you, Barney Frank was that our Congressman then was Philip Philbin, the Vice Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and a hawk on the Vietnam War.  I was co-chairman of the Newton Coalition for New Politics, and we were looking for one strong candidate who could defeat Philbin.  Usually, candidates decide they want to run for office and then seek supporters.  But here, had a major advantage.  We already had supporters ready to work for and contribute to a peace candidate, so we could choose the person who had the leadership ability and strong moral convictions about the war and other values important to us.  I had recently heard an impassioned speech by Father Drinan at a Vietnam Moratorium rally at Boston College and felt that he had the conviction and stature to be an ideal candidate.  First, in a telephone conversation, then at a meeting of the Newton Coalition for New Politics, and finally to the district caucus organizers, I suggested Father Drinan.  The initial enthusiasm was great.  He was a well-known author, educator, legal scholar, and religious leader.  He had a strong moral compass and was not willing to compromise his convictions for the sake of expediency.  He was a true leader, his values were clear, and he could express his views eloquently and effectively.  On the other hand, he always had a good story to tell and enjoyed interacting with people on a personal basis. Because he was just a possible name and not a candidate, the caucus organizers asked me to lead a three-person delegation to ask Father Drinan to run in the district caucus, which ultimately had only three candidates including John Kerry.  My original contact with Father Drinan was by telephone one Sunday afternoon to set up an appointment.  He was somewhat put off by the idea and said, “ Send me a letter indicating who you are and why, out of all possibilities, you would want to consider me.”  I followed through with the letter, but I anticipated a negative response.  However, when he received my letter, I got a telephone call in which he said he was dubious but would like to hear more and would be willing to meet with us.  Each time I spoke with him as we were trying to set up a convenient meeting time for all of us, he seemed more enthusiastic.  Finally, when we did meet on a snowy night in his Boston College Law School office, he was ready to go.  He had already gotten approval from his superior, the Jesuit Provincial in Boston, and he read us a statement by Fr. Arupe, the international head of the Jesuit order, encouraging priests to become active in politics.  He was enthusiastic about running, and we were elated to have found a candidate of his prominence. From the beginning, I had assumed that a Catholic priest would easily garner the Catholic vote, and this would be a major source of his support.  Democrats within the Congressional District were about equally split between Catholic, Protestant and Jewish voters. As the campaign Treasurer I participated in dealing with many of the behind the scenes concerns.  Quickly, it became clear that Catholics were very conflicted about a priest in politics, especially one who thought so independently.  Fr. Drinan’s views were consistent with Church doctrine, but he did not feel that they should be imposed on non-Catholics.  For example, he thought that abortion was a sin but should not be considered a crime.  Furthermore, Catholics considered priests to be highly moral individuals and messengers of God, whereas politicians were not to be trusted; they would say one thing to get support and then do another.  Indeed, as the campaign progressed, it became very difficult to get any prominent Catholics within the district to support Fr. Drinan publicly.  On a number of occasions, Fr. Drinan would be disturbed by late night telephone calls from irate Catholics who did not like what he was doing.  As a priest and educator, his views were highly respected and rarely questioned; as a politician, he became subject to vigorous and vicious attacks for exactly the same views he had expressed before.  You politicians here know just what I mean.  It was a personally difficult time for him, but he did not falter because he was a very determined and dedicated man.  He felt that this was his new calling, and he plunged ahead with all the energy and conviction he could muster.  He felt he could have a greater impact on the important issues as a member of Congress than solely as an educator and priest.  In the end, to everyone’s surprise, when the actual vote was reviewed precinct by precinct, Fr. Drinan did quite well in the predominantly Catholic areas.  Although they opposed his running for Congress, in the secrecy of the voting booth they supported his election.  In the intervening years he has become a source of pride and motivation to many Catholics.  We will all miss him, but he inspired so many people to great accomplishments that his impact will remain for many generations. -Arthur S. Obermayer Newton, MA   Father Drinan was a good friend of Paul and mine and married us in 1961 while he was Dean at Boston College.  When he came to Congress we attended each of his inauguration receptions.  He also married our daughter Gigi and Jim.  He concelebrated the funeral masses of my parents (Dr. Gabriel Magassy and Goergette Magassy at Holy Trinity in 1990 and 2001 respectively).  In 2001 he concelberated the marriage of our son Paul Gabriel and Jennie McClelland. Throughout the years we kept in touch and eagerly followed his fascinating and productive career.  We often ate lunch with him at the Jesuit Community or dinner at our home. Father Drinan will remain in our hearts forever.  May he rest in peace. -Georgette M. Dorn Chief, Hispanic Division Library of Congress   I met Robert Drinan as a first year law student at Boston College Law School in September 1969, before he left the following spring to serve in Congress.  I had no idea when we met that he would be such an influence, such a moral force, and such a dear friend for the next 38 years, not only to me, but to virtually all with whom he came in contact.  I feel blessed to have known him.      Bob Drinan had gravitas as a scholar and leader, but such warm and endearing personal qualities as well – a gentle and sometimes mischievous sense of humor, a genuinely caring heart, and true compassion.  He never forgot the students he had mentored, or the countless persons in all walks with whom he worked during his life, and always remembered and asked about their children and loved ones by name. He will be remembered for the depth of his intellect, and for his devotion to those who are poor, hungry, and without hope. He will be remembered for the love that flowed so freely from this servant of God to all people and from them back to him. And he will be remembered for his firm conviction that the law is an instrument for social justice - a conviction that has guided countless law students, lawyers, and leaders for more than half a century and that will continue to guide us for generations to come. -Michael S. Greco Immediate Past President, American Bar Association   I had been working in Church ministry for 10 years and although my job was education, counseling the bereaved became part of my job. At about that time Fr. Drinan had shared a personal story of his own loss..the loss of a young nephew who had just finished Law School, had returned to the Church and was working with the poor in Boston. "He was like a son," said Fr. Drinan. He died suddenly and Fr. Drinan, called upon to offer the homily/eulogy, found he was at a loss..a loss for words to speak about the unspeakable--the loss of this young man whose whole life was before him and who had so much to offer the people of God. Finally, he said, in the very early hours of the morning of the funeral Mass, after praying for guidance to the Holy Spirit, he found solace in the following. That (possibly) when death occurs, particularly when it seems to senseless, that God has called that person--and perhaps calls all of us this way--at the very peak of our closeness to Him. God knows our whole life span--what it is, what it could be, what it should not be..so He takes that person to be with Him,  to enter the home of God and meet his/her true self. Fr. Drinan said that he was then able to acknowledge the pain..that the pain of betrayal became a source of tenderness and compassion.  I have used this idea so many times with people who are devastated, almost destroyed by grief..and it has been a blessing..I always pray that I get the story right to meet the needs of the person to whom I am ministering. And so I wrote to Fr. Drinan and told him how much I appreciated his insight and what it has meant to me personally and to those whom I serve..and he wrote such a gracious letter, enclosing a copy of the actual article from NCR in which he had shared his thoughts. -Ann Marie Sullivan Brandon, FL          Father Robert Drinan has graced our Passover Seder table for the last 25 years. We will miss him always. He inspired us all with his passion, his commitment, his intellect, his curiosity, his challenges to power, his commitment to family and community—his own and the Jesuits. Nobody read with greater authority. Carla thought maybe we should make a recording of his reading. I can just imagine the proceeds would go to various human rights causes, peace actions and those fighting poverty. He wrote about the Seder once for the Boston Globe even including our dog Max. I received many phone calls and e-mails on that op-ed. Apart from his reading and participating with his opinions (there were many!) and his questions (lots here, too), here is what stood out: Bob always asked about family, work, how Politics & Prose was doing, my various groups, our children—and as his many tributes show this was part of his life with everybody. For Bob, his nuclear family included his friends. Bob loved writing books and every other year he had something to report: religious freedom, a book on human rights, the work of the Helsinki Commission. Of course, he had readings at P&P. With his impish smile, he would tell me, “really good stuff on Judaism there but kind of light on Catholic teachings.” Bob always brought us a bottle of Manischewitz, Kosher for Passover. There is one tonight. Don’t worry. Not to be drunken, it’s in the Elijah cup. He wore a red kippah (ours.) I teased him that he could now play at being a Cardinal. Over the years he developed a warm relationship with Edith Furstenberg (Carla’s mother). They were Seder seat mates. These two different worlds—the liberal anti-clerical secularist and the religious figure who loved to celebrate masses, weddings and christenings—had their human rights, ending poverty, fighting for peace and essential compassion that united them. When my father was alive the two conversed prior to the Seder start. The next day in synagogue (there was a group of older people who sat on the first row and they reported on the previous night’s Seder to one another) my father always said Father Drinan was a guest. This was always an eye-opener to that generation—they were not so used to inviting a non-Jew, let alone a priest, and a priest who was a Member of Congress. It’s the hat trick of the “three-fer.” It also tells us that our country has changed for the better in some ways. In his many international trips he would always call me (and many others) to learn whom I could connect him with. South Africa, Israel, India, Palestine, Bangladesh, Bulgaria—what fun and occasionally I received a note from a person who had seen his passion, intellect and energy. What to call Father Drinan? Tip O’Neill always called him Father. So did all my Catholic friends even when they knew him well. Senator Ted Kennedy referred to him as Father Bob as did older people who knew him from the 60s whether they were Catholics or not. As I got to know him better he was Bob in one on one or in a small group of people who knew him well. In any large group it was Father Drinan even though he always introduced himself as Bob Drinan. I loved to show Bob our St. Francis of Assisi sculpture in our garden, a gift to us from Edith who inherited it from her parents. St. Francis cared and fought for the poor so to Carla and me he’s universal. Nancy Pelosi, as Minority Leader and of the House Democrats, was asked to nominate two former living members with the Congressional Distinguished Award. She named Father Drinan and Lindy Boggs. The day she named them a group of us celebrated Bob’s 85th birthday, November 2005. (Of course it was a Council for a Livable World fundraiser. Bob was completely practical and knew he was a good draw!) Nancy Pelosi was visibly proud as she told me what she had done. Father Drinan celebrated a mass before Speaker Pelosi was sworn in at her alma mater, Trinity College in Washington. As always, he challenged all of us by saying, “Imagine what the world would think of the United States if the health and welfare of children everywhere became the top objective of America’s foreign policy?” That mass was said in honor of the children of Katrina and Darfur. Father Drinan said the needs of every child are the needs of Jesus Christ himself. Teacher Drinan challenged the graduates of Georgetown not to be legal trades people but to be, in his words, “moral architects.”  Speaker Pelosi captured the essential Drinan in her eulogy: “Design, create and build a better and more equitable society and use your skills to help those who otherwise are not being served.” Senator Kennedy in his eulogy captured thoughts familiar to Carla and our children from our oft repeated Friday night homily: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison you visited me.”  Senator Kennedy further eulogized that Father Bob “held up a mirror to our conscience.” In his last sermon Father Drinan said, “Let us not disappoint the redeemer.”  We can do that if we live lives of commitment that reflect Father Drinan’s life. -David Cohen Senior Fellow, Experience Corps/Civic Ventures President, Global Integrity Co-Founder, Advocacy Institute   I knew Bob Drinan in a different context from most people, as a witness. He was a character witness for me on behalf of Frank Thompson, one of the Congressmen caught up in the Abscam sting. In fact he was our first defense witness, Roman collar and all. He was a standup guy--despite what the defendants in Abscam were accused (and ultimately convicted) of doing, he never had the slight hesitation in agreeing to be a character witness. He was a man of great character himself. He also was going to be a witness for me on a point of Catholic theology in another case--the meaning of the phrase "making your peace" in the context of a defamation case. Fortunately we settled the case. But he would have been great! -Dan Rezneck Senior Assistant Attorney General, D.C.   I do want to say a word or two first about the late great Father Robert Drinan. He is here today, I am sure, looking down on so many of you whom he taught. Father Drinan was more than a role model. Let’s face it, whether you agreed with his politics or not, he was pretty close to a saint. A many who worked tirelessly to make the world a better place, he always saw people at their best, and saw society in aspirational, not cynical, terms. It was my privilege to know Bob Drinan for nearly four decades. My sister, at the tender age of 19, was his scheduling director when he ran for Congress to protest the Vietnam War. Thereafter, he became a fixture at our family table, joining in with great gusto in raucous dinner table games. My mother used to affectionately call him the Mad Monk. To use a Latin term, he was a mensch. He loved life, and he loved young people! He always said he didn’t just teach them. He learned from them. When my sister’s daughter turned 19, it was fitting that I bring her with me to dine with Father Drinan one evening. Time seemed to stand still, as my sister’s clone sat there with Father Drinan peppering her with questions about herself and what she wanted to do with her life. My husband was scandalized that Emily had come to dinner wearing an outfit one might not have picked for the Jesuit residence. But Bob was enchanted and introduced her to every priest in the dining room, including Father Orsy. In many ways I think Father Drinan formed my sister’s persona, her decision to become a lawyer, in service of the law. I imagine that there are thousands of others like her whose lives he influenced in similar ways. He was such a life force that I simply could not believe that he had died rather suddenly and wouldn’t be there any more for me to have a meal with at the Jesuit’s residence. So Bob, I hope you will approve of my remarks today… -Excerpt of NPR Legal Affairs Correspondent Nina Totenberg's 2007 Georgetown University Law Center Commencement Address May 20, 2007