Drinan, Robert Frederick, 1920-2007

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Robert Frederick Drinan was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 15, 1920, to James John and Ann Mary (Flanagan) Drinan. He graduated from Hyde Park High School in 1938 and entered Boston College the same year. He earned his B.A. from Boston College in 1942, later that year entering the Society of Jesus, though he was not ordained until 1953. In the intervening years, Drinan pursued a legal education and earned a M.A. from Boston College in 1947 as well as two law degrees from Georgetown University Law Center, a LL.B in 1949 and a LL.M in 1950. He completed his Jesuit education in 1954 when he received a doctorate of sacred theology from the Gregorian University in Rome.

In 1955, Drinan began his professional academic career with a return to Boston College. He joined the faculty of the Boston College Law School, where he also served as the Associate Dean. He became the Dean a year later, a position he held until 1969. During his tenure at the law school, Drinan increased the size of the faculty and brought in top-quality scholars, transforming the law school into a top-rated institution. He was outspoken on social justice issues confronting Boston in the 1960s and called for the desegregation of Boston public schools. From 1969 to 1970, Drinan served as the Vice-President and Provost of Boston College.

In 1970, Drinan, a Democrat, ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and became the first Catholic priest to be elected to Congress. From 1971-1981, he served in the 92nd-96th Congresses. In the 92nd Congress, he represented the Massachusetts 3rd District, which was renamed the Massachusetts 4th District for the 93rd-96th Congresses. Drinan served on the House Internal Security Committee, the House Government Operations Committee, the House Select Committee on Aging, and the House Judiciary Committee, for which he served as the Chairman of the Criminal Justice Subcommittee in his final term.

Drinan was focused on social justice and human rights issues throughout his legislative career. After running on an anti-Vietnam War platform in his first congressional campaign he used his position to push for an end to the war and the withdrawal of American troops. His involvement with the House Judiciary Committee and its Criminal Justice Subcommittee played an integral part in the impeachment of President Nixon. When Drinan called for Nixon's impeachment in 1973, he was the first Representative to do so, though he was motivated by the secret bombing of Cambodia, rather than Watergate. Drinan's work as chair of the Criminal Justice Subcommittee also led to an overhaul of the federal criminal code in 1979 and 1980.

In 1980, Pope John Paul II announced that priests were henceforth barred from holding political office and so Drinan did not seek re-election.

After his retirement from Congress in 1981, Drinan returned to academia, joining the Georgetown University Law Center until 2007 as a professor, specializing in international human rights, constitutional law, civil liberties, and arms control. He remained involved in politics, serving as president of the Americans for Democratic Action, as well as on the boards of the International League of Human Rights, the Lawyer's Committee for International Human Rights, the International Labor Rights Fund, and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Throughout his political and academic careers Drinan was a prolific writer. He wrote numerous books, including Religion, the Courts and Public Policy (1963); Democracy, Dissent and Disorder (1969); Vietnam and Armageddon (1970); and Honor The Promise: America's Commitment to Israel (1977). He also wrote many magazine and journal articles, book reviews, and letters to the editor. He served as the corresponding editor to America for National Catholic Weekly from 1958-1970, and also as the editor in chief of Family Law Quarterly from 1967-1970.

Drinan spent the latter part of his life traveling extensively, going to Southeast Asia, Africa, and South and Central America. He died on January 28, 2007, at the age of 86.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Earl Browder Papers, 1879-1990 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
referencedIn Audiovisual Records, Photographs, 1940-1980. Andover-Harvard Theological Library
referencedIn Action for Soviet Jewry, records, undated, 1943, 1964-1994 American Jewish Historical Society
creatorOf Brooks, Lawrence Graham, 1881-1981. Papers, 1897-1981. Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Leach, Walter Barton. W. Barton Leach Papers. 1920-1971. Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Morey Schapira, papers, Papers, undated, 1963, 1965-1993, 2010 American Jewish Historical Society
creatorOf Robert F. Drinan, SJ Congressional Papers Boston College. John J. Burns Library
referencedIn Richard H. Field papers, 1942-1978 Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
creatorOf Fellowship of Reconciliation Collected Records Swarthmore College, Peace Collection, SCPC
creatorOf Boston College. Law School. Law School Records, 1929-[ongoing]. Boston College. John J. Burns Library
referencedIn William Ernest Hocking papers Houghton Library
creatorOf Moffitt, John. Papers of John Moffitt [manuscript], 1975-1985. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn National Committee Against Repressive Legislation. Records, 1948-2003. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
creatorOf Drinan, Robert F., b. 1920. Typed letters signed (4) : Washington, to Edward Wagenknecht, 1974-1980. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn Andreĭ Sakharov papers, 1852-2002 (inclusive), 1960-1990 (bulk). Houghton Library
creatorOf Hester, Hugh B. (Hugh Bryan), 1895-1983. Hugh Hester papers, 1945-1983. (bulk 1968-1983). Clemson University Libraries, Robert Muldrow Cooper Library
referencedIn University of Connecticut, Thomas J. Dodd Research Center Records, undated, 1965- Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Center.
referencedIn Bauman, Mordecai. Papers, 1926-2000. New-York Historical Society
creatorOf Williams, Michael, 1878-1950. Records, 1926-1989. University of Notre Dame, Hesburgh Library
referencedIn Mordecai Bauman Papers, 1926-2006 Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
creatorOf Robert F. Drinan, SJ Pre- and Post-Congressional Papers Boston College. John J. Burns Library
referencedIn Richard H. Field papers, 1942-1978 Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Homer D. Crotty papers and addenda, 1859-2011 The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens Manuscripts Department
referencedIn Harvard Law School Forums Records Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Jessica Mitford Papers TXRC91-A11., 1949-73 Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
referencedIn Paul A. Freund papers Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Arthur E. Sutherland papers Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Sheldon Glueck papers Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Dillis Charles Knapp papers, circa 1920-1981 University of Washington Libraries Special Collections
referencedIn Berger, Raoul. Raoul Berger Papers. 1921-2000. Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Audiovisual Records: Photographs, slides, and negatives, 1972-2005. Andover-Harvard Theological Library
creatorOf Drinan, Robert F. Robert F. Drinan : commercials, 1970. University of Oklahoma, Political Community Archives
referencedIn Howe, Mark De Wolfe. Mark De Wolfe Howe papers. 1933-1967. Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Sutherland, Arthur E., 1902-1973. Papers of Arthur Eugene Sutherland, 1923-1972 (inclusive), 1950-1972 (bulk). Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Shapiro, Irving S., 1916-2001. Irving S. Shapiro papers, 1964-1981 Hagley Museum & Library
referencedIn National Committee against Repressive Legislation (U.S.). Records, 1952-1980. Wisconsin historical society
referencedIn Lawrence Graham Brooks papers, 1897-1981 Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
creatorOf Howe, Mark De Wolfe, 1906-1967. Papers, 1933-1967. Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
creatorOf Mitford, Jessica, 1917-1996. Papers, 1949-1973 (bulk 1961-1973). Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Action for Soviet Jewry corporateBody
associatedWith Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center corporateBody
associatedWith Bauman, Mordecai. person
associatedWith Bauman, Mordecai, 1912-2007 person
associatedWith Berger, Raoul, 1901- person
alumnusOrAlumnaOf Boston College corporateBody
employeeOf Boston College. Law School. corporateBody
associatedWith Brooks, Lawrence Graham, 1881-1981 person
associatedWith Browder, Earl, 1891-1973 person
associatedWith Carter, Jimmy. person
memberOf Catholic Church corporateBody
associatedWith Crotty, Homer D. person
memberOf Democratic Party (U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith Fellowship of Reconciliation (U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith Field, Richard Hinkley, 1903-1978 person
associatedWith Ford, Gerald. person
employeeOf Georgetown University. Law Center. corporateBody
correspondedWith Glueck, Sheldon, 1896- person
correspondedWith Harvard Law School Forum corporateBody
associatedWith Hester, Hugh B. (Hugh Bryan), 1895-1983. person
correspondedWith Hocking, William Ernest, 1873-1966 person
associatedWith Howe, Mark De Wolfe, 1906-1967 person
associatedWith Knapp, Dillis Charles person
associatedWith Leach, W. Barton (Walter Barton), 1900- person
associatedWith Mitford, Jessica, 1917- person
associatedWith Moffitt, John. person
associatedWith National Committee against Repressive Legislation (U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith Nixon, Richard. person
associatedWith Nixon, Richard M. (Richard Milhous), 1913-1994 person
associatedWith Paul A. Freund person
politicalOpponentOf Philbin, Philip person
associatedWith Pierpont Morgan Library. Wagenknecht Collection. corporateBody
correspondedWith Sakharov, Andreĭ, 1921-1989 person
associatedWith Schapira, Morey person
associatedWith Shapiro, Irving S. person
memberOf Society of Jesus. corporateBody
associatedWith Sutherland, Arthur E., 1902-1973 person
associatedWith Unitarian Universalist Service Committee. corporateBody
memberOf United States. Congress. House corporateBody
memberOf United States. Congress. House. Committee on Internal Security. corporateBody
memberOf United States. Congress. House. Committee on the Judiciary. corporateBody
associatedWith University of Oklahoma. Political Commercial Archive. corporateBody
associatedWith Wagenknecht, Edward, 1900-2004, person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Boston MA US
District of Columbia DC US
Subject
Advertising, political
Catholic universities and colleges
Criminal law
Human rights
Jesuits
Jews, Soviet
Legislators
Television advertising
Watergate Affair, 1972-1974
Occupation
Lawyer
Member of the House of Representatives
Politician
Priest
Activity

Person

Birth 1920-11-15

Death 2007-01-28

Information

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