The University of St. Thomas

Thomas O'Gorman Papers

 Fr. Thomas O'Gorman (1843-1921) Papers
RS 02/01/02


Biography: 

Thomas O'Gorman was born in Boston, MA on May 1, 1843.  His family moved to St. Paul in April 1852.  There he entered Bishop Cretin's Cathedral School.  The Bishop was so impressed with O'Gorman that he sent him (along with John Ireland) to study in France at the minor seminary in Meximieux and the major seminary at Montbel.  O'Gorman was ordained into the priesthood on November 5, 1865 by Bishop Grace.  He served in parishes in Rochester and Faribult, MN  and as a Paulist missionary in New York City (1877 - 1882) before being named Rector of the College of St. Thomas in August 1885.  O'Gorman served as rector only until 1887, but remained on the faculty as a professor until 1892.  In that year, he accepted at position as a Professor of Church History at the new Catholic University of America.  On April 19, 1896, he was consecrated Bishop of Sioux Falls, SD.  He served in this position until his death in 1921

Processed: 6/79

Inventory:

1/1 Correspondence regarding a lecture O'Gorman was scheduled to deliver to the Board of Directors of the Colombian Catholic Summer School in the Summer of 1896. The correspondence chronicles O'Gorman's desire to select his own lecture topic and the support he received from the Board in this regard against Bishop S. G. Messmer, the President of the Board.