What they said about Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C.

The late U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy:
“His influence reached far beyond South Bend. His seemingly endless energy and his brilliant intellect made him a source of wisdom for the entire nation in the finest spirit of public service … His ability as a problem solver and a peace maker made him one of the most sought after advisors for the nation’s leaders … Few if any have done more to make America a more compassionate, a more peaceful, a more just nation.”
Former President George W. Bush:
“My respect for Father Ted Hesburgh knows no bounds. I consider myself a very lucky man over my life to know Father Ted and to rejoice in his achievements. Father Ted led a full and active life. Undoubtedly, he is in heaven calling the shots.”
Former President Bill Clinton:
 “Once he was criticized by some clergy for his emphasis on academic improvement, and he said, ‘Piety is no substitute for competent scholarship.’ The legendary Robert Maynard Hutchins of the University of Chicago once said that Father Hesburgh’s improvements at Notre Dame constituted ‘one of the most spectacular achievements in higher education in the last 25 years.’”
Former President George H.W. Bush:
“His reputation as one who stood for and worked for world peace goes far beyond any political boundary, far beyond the boundary of the United States of America. He [was] a true man of peace.”
Former UN Ambassador Andrew Young:
“The key to the success of the Civil Rights movement was to keep it from being a radical leftist movement, and recognize that it was truly a movement coming out of the Judeo-Christian, U.S. Constitutional tradition of justice. Well, nobody could represent all of those forces like Father Ted could. And he did it in such a quiet, unassuming, non-judgmental way that when he was with you, you didn’t have to worry about who was against you.”
The late U.S. Sen. Hubert Humphrey:
“He has been an inspiration to all of us at a time when cynicism and suspicion and doubt and hate and despair and violence seem to claim so many of our fellow human beings. He has proven by the example of his life that one does not need to be cynical or despairing.”
Former President Jimmy Carter:
“His dynamic leadership in expanding the scope of the University’s Center for Civil Rights to worldwide concern for the basic rights of all people has given him an international reputation that brings credit to our country, to his faith, and to the great educational institution that he leads.”
Former U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson:
“No one ever gave my friend Father Ted any of the soft issues to deal with in America. Various American presidents and congressional leaders always turned him loose in areas filled with emotion, fear, guilt and racism. And he would always bring reason to the fore.”
Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.:
“One of the great lessons for me in leadership was to talk to Father Ted, and at the end of our conversation – he spoke about his life and his work – he stood up, knelt down and asked for my blessing. Here I was a very young superior of that community, and here was this great man, this great figure, kneeling and asking for my blessing. It taught me a great deal about leadership, about being a priest, and about service. It epitomizes so much of what Fr. Ted has taught me and so many others.”
Cardinal Theodore McCarrick:
“He was always extraordinarily kind to everybody. I was a young priest at the time (of our first meeting) and he was as thoughtful and as gracious to me as he was to the major figures who were there and sometimes demanding attention. I will never forget that personal touch and that personal kindness. It was a mark of his life and it went hand in hand with an extraordinary ability to lead and to guide the organizations he played so often so key and vital a role.”
Donald Keough, former Notre Dame Board Chair:
“Trying to describe Father Hesburgh is almost impossible. He has done so many things and carried so many titles in government, business and academia. But if you were to ask him what role he was most proud of in his life, the answer would be very simple – priest. Father Hesburgh wrote a book years ago titled God, Country, Notre Dame. His tombstone today could read, ‘Rev. Theodore Hesburgh devoted his life to God, Country and Notre Dame.’ In a way, this statement captures the unique life of one of America’s human treasures.”
Former Notre Dame football coach Ara Parseghian:
“Father Hesburgh made many important decisions during his tenure as president of Notre Dame. The Parseghian family was blessed when he made the decision to name me the head football coach in 1964. We will be eternally grateful. Father Ted has touched many lives and we are honored that he made us a part of the Notre Dame family. He embodied all the attributes of a great priest and human being. His worldwide work left this earth a much better place.”
Former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz:
“If Readers Digest asked me to write about the most amazing person I’ve ever met in my life, my answer would be, without a doubt, Father Hesburgh. I was blessed and fortunate to be under his tutelage while I coached at the University of Notre Dame. His knowledge, wisdom and care of other people were not only sincere, but very obvious. You can sometimes feel when you’re among greatness, and you always had this feeling when you were with Father Hesburgh. Yet, at the same time, he was so humble and always made you the center of conversation. Whenever I’m faced with difficult times, I reflect back on Father Hesburgh and how he handled things and his outlook on life.”
Former U.S. Rep. Tim Roemer:
“Father Hesburgh [was] a warrior for peace, a lion for justice, a parish priest for a world congregation. An individual committed to a different journey, a daily journey, to explore the heart and soul for justice and equality as an original member of the Civil Rights Commission; committed to discover resources and money for the hungry and poor in Cambodia and around the world; committed to climb the heights of the possible and help build the University of Notre Dame into an international Catholic research university; and committed to venture into unknown and difficult territory as a warrior for peace in Bosnia and the Middle East.”
Former U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh:
“It seems to me that Father Theodore Hesburgh (like Sir Thomas More) is also a man for all seasons. A season of learning, leading the University of Notre Dame to be one of the great academic institutions of not only our country but of the world … a season of justice, beginning in the 1950s long before it was popular, devoting himself to the cause of civil rights … and finally a season of peace, serving numerous committees and helping to bring reconciliation and love between peoples too long in conflict. We call down the echoes from a lifetime of service, echoes that will rebound from generation to generation, reminding us of what it is to be a good and decent and loving country. And when we hear those echoes in future generations, we will remember Theodore M. Hesburgh, because his contributions to the cause of a better America have truly been everlasting.”
Former U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar:
“Throughout his career, Father Hesburgh inspired his community to pursue not only academic excellence and international prominence, but also justice and spiritual meaning. Father Ted is the epitome of a compassionate man, but combined with that sense of compassion is remarkable self-discipline, an articulate man who has used words well, an effective man whose leadership, whose political skills and whose vision made that compassion effective.”
Former U.S. Sen. Harris Wofford:
“Father Hesburgh to me embodies and represents three watchwords: courage, creativity and compassion.”