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By
Phyllis Hanlon
 An
inspirational quote from Winston Churchill and recent family
pictures share wall space with an aerial photograph of New
York, copies of several 97-year-old newspaper clippings of
the General Slocum steamship disaster and an Irish flag.
An obstacle course of books, magazines, folders and other
papers greets visitors to Ed O'Donnell's newly occupied office
in Holy Cross' history department. After a 15-year absence,
this Massachusetts native is already firmly re-established
on familiar turf. The intervening years have brought him
a wife, four daughters, a Ph.D. and an enthusiasm for all
things historical, particularly if tied to the Irish, which
has led to a teaching position at his alma mater and publication
of his writing.
From the time he first experienced an afternoon of football
fever in the early '80s-the Holy Cross/Boston College rivalry
was at its peak in those days-O'Donnell knew he was destined
to wear the purple and spend his college days on St. James
hill. Planning to follow in his father's footsteps, he enrolled
in the premed program but soon ran into a major stumbling
block. "I was gung ho until I failed chemistry in my
first semester," he says. "Of course, that was
probably due in part to a vigorous social schedule as well
as the fact that I wasn't all that good in science." The
following year, he decided to tackle the science course once
again; a mediocre grade prompted a shift in thinking.
In his quest for an alternate direction, O'Donnell found
himself in a history seminar with Rev. Anthony Kuzniewski,
S.J. "That was an eye-opening, wonderful experience," he
says. "In that course, I discovered I was a pretty good
writer." At that point, he decided that a career as
a history professor and author held more appeal than a vocation
in medicine.
In addition to Fr. Kuzniewski, O'Donnell credits several
other professors at Holy Cross with providing encouragement
and motivation. William A. Green and Ross W. Beales, Jr.
of the history department strongly influenced his decision
to pursue a degree in that subject. Currently involved in
campus ministry and Student Programs for Urban Development
(SPUD), a community service organization, O'Donnell notes
that Rev. Robert E. Manning, S.J., and Rev. William E. Reiser,
S.J., laid the groundwork for his deep commitment to the
church.
For the last 13 years, he and his wife, Stephanie Yeager
'86, a New York native, have lived in Manhattan with their
four daughters. The Big Apple held a certain charm and plenty
of opportunity, of which O'Donnell always managed to take
advantage. Working at Hunter, a city university system school
in Manhattan, he faced the challenge of a huge student population
that was generally unprepared for the rigors of learning. "The
school colors are purple and white like Holy Cross," he
says. "That's where the similarities end." Teaching
ethnic urban history, O'Donnell spent as much time honing
writing skills as he did conveying his intended subject. "It
was great work, rewarding," he says. "But you didn't
feel like you reached the number of students you wanted to."
After six years at Hunter, O'Donnell became a tenured associate
professor. However, long hours-as many as 100 per week-were
taking their toll. He longed to spend more time with his
growing family, and the urge to write was calling. Early
in 2000, he resolved to land a book contract or a new job
by year's end. He missed his goal, but only by two months.
On Feb. 8, 2001-a date etched into his memory-both his wishes
were granted.
That winter day brought an offer from Holy Cross to fill
the position of associate professor in the history department.
O'Donnell still wears a look of incredulity at his good fortune
to be back at his alma mater. "It's exceedingly rare
that an alum gets to come back and teach here. It's a million
to one shot," he says. "Two hundred people apply
when a job opens up. It's usually ridiculous to think you'd
be chosen to fill an open position. I am astonished to be
here." Although he and his wife had always planned to
return to the area, he shakes his head at the reality of
the dream. "It's still a process of moving from unbelievable
to believable," he says.
Lady luck continued to smile on O'Donnell as the long sought-after
book contract arrived in the mail. Seeing bookshelves lined
with volumes targeting Jewish, African-American, women and
other specific niche groups, O'Donnell hatched the idea for
an Irish book. "I wrote a proposal with 25 sample items
and sent it off to the man who would eventually be my agent," he
says. Time passed and day-to-day living distracted him while
the project slipped into the background. Strolling through
a book display at a history convention a while later, passion
for his book project was re-ignited. A quick call to the
publisher brought a contract within four weeks. Scheduled
for publication in early spring 2002, 1001 Things Everyone
Should Know about Irish-American History, provides details
about ancient Celtic lore and clarification of Irish myth
to inside information on Irish politicians and entertainment
figures and much more in between.
The years he spent living in New York opened O'Donnell's
eyes to the rich history around him and prompted him to explore
some of the more interesting local events. His research into
the story of the General Slocum, a steamship that burst into
flames while on a pleasure outing on the East River, led
to another book, scheduled for publication in the next couple
of years. The disaster claimed the lives of 1,021 German
immigrants and surpassed the casualties of the 1911 Triangle
Shirtwaist factory fire, even though locals soon forgot the
ship's blaze. "This story fell out of people's memory," he
says. His book details the events of that fateful day and
explores the reasons why such a tragedy took place. "New
York has dozens more stories like this," he says.
O'Donnell's thesis, a biography titled Henry George
for Mayor! Irish Nationalism, Labor Radicalism & Independent
Politics in Gilded Age New York City, will also be
published sometime in 2002. According to O'Donnell, the
manuscript requires a bit more polishing.
To add to his literary success, O'Donnell is a regular contributor
to the Irish Echo, the only national Irish-American weekly
newspaper. Since June 2000, he has written a column called
the "Hibernian Chronicle," which spotlights relatively
unknown or forgotten historic Irish individuals who have
made a contribution to the world. Some of his column ideas
stem from reader suggestions, and others he discovers through
his own reading efforts.
Although moving from a huge city like New York to the countryside
of Holden-"There are no wild turkeys in Manhattan," he
says-has been a bit of culture shock, O'Donnell emphasizes
the change was well worth it. "Lifestyle and opportunity-wise
what this job offers compensates for any culture shock," he
says. He and his wife agree that the years they spent at
Holy Cross played a critical role in shaping the people they
are today. "Attending Holy Cross was a formative experience
in our lives," he says. "It's miraculous that we
found our way back here."
* * *
From 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Irish American
History
By Edward T. O'Donnell '86
Eleven Common Words with Irish Origins
664. galore
from the Irish go leor, enough, plenty 665. shanty from the Irish seantigh,
a run down house
666. spree
from the Irish spreath, spoils taken in a raid (i.e., cattle)
667. slogan
from the Irish sluaghairim, a war cry (literally "army shout")
668. smithereens
from the Irish smidirini, fragment
669. shenanigans
from the Irish sionnachuighim, literally "I play the fox"
670. spunk
from the Irish sponc, spirited or courageous
671. whiskey
from the Irish uisce and beatha, water of life
672. boycott
from the name of its most famous victim, Captain Charles Cunningham Boycott,
who was ostracized for carrying out tenant evictions during the "Land
War" of the 1880s; to shun or withhold patronage
673. donnybrook
from the wild behavior associated with the annual fair at Donnybrook near Dublin,
from the late fourteenth to the mid-nineteenth centuries; a brawl
674. hooligan
from a notorious Irish family named Hooligan living in the slums of London
in the 1890s (and later popularized in Fred Opper's cartoon, Happy Hooligan);
a rowdy Phyllis Hanlon is a free-lance writer from Charlton,
Mass. |
