Dan Philpott - up, up and away...

Dan Philpott, eldest of brother Jim's three children, was recently appointed Director of the Notre Dame Center for Civil and Human Rights.

You can read the full announcement on the website of the University of Notre Dame here (or just read it below).

Three cheers to Dan!


Published December 16 by Notre Dame.


Daniel Philpott, professor of political science and peace studies, has been appointed director of the University of Notre Dame’s Center for Civil and Human Rights, effective Jan. 1.
“Professor Philpott brings an ambitious vision for building the CCHR into a leading center for impactful research to his new role,” said J. Nicholas Entrikin, vice president and associate provost for internationalization. “He is a highly accomplished scholar who will support and enhance the center’s position as a beacon for civil and human rights, guided by the tenets of Catholic social teaching.”
A member of the Notre Dame faculty since 2001, Philpott is a scholar of international relations, political philosophy and peace studies whose research concerns religion and reconciliation in politics. He is the author of numerous articles and books on these subjects including, most recently, “Just and Unjust Peace: An Ethic of Political Reconciliation,” which proposes concrete ethical guidelines to societies emerging from authoritarianism, civil war and genocide.
In addition to directing a research program on religion and reconciliation for Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, Philpott travels widely in pursuit of his scholarly interests. Between 2000 and 2006, he regularly visited Kashmir as an associate of the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy, and he regularly visits Uganda and the Great Lakes region of Africa to train political and religious leaders in reconciliation under the auspices of the Catholic Peacebuilding Network.
The Center for Civil and Human Rights, established 40 years ago by Notre Dame’s president emeritus Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., is a leader in advanced teaching and research in international human rights law and the education of human rights lawyers from all parts of the world.

The best of Clellie's sewing machines

Here's Clellie hard at work with her new sewing machine.

This machine will do everything except make coffee! I think Clellie has five sewing machines. Or is it just four?

This one is really cool. The pattern is read by its computer. Basically, you put in the thread and the cloth and then sit there and watch it sew.


Oops, am I spoiling the secret?

Gus's stocking

When do you suppose Mom made our stockings?

Think she made them before our first Christmas? If she did, then mine was made in 1939, 74 years ago.

And, yes, it has the right name on it. "Frank" is my given name, after Dad. But I'm not a Junior, because our middle names are different. Mine is Richey, after a favorite uncle (well, husband of an aunt), Clint Richey, who was Thelma's husband.

Dad's middle name was Roosevelt, although he would never tell anyone, because they'd think "FDR", rather than Teddy Roosevelt (1858-1919), the Rough Rider and POTUS (1901-1909). Dad was born November 12, 1900.

Why was I called "Gus"? I didn't know until I was in my forties (maybe 1984?). A friend, also with a February birthday, and I were enjoying a late birthday dinner, and she asked how I got the name "Gus". I didn't know, and she asked whether I could ask my parents. It was a little late for that, since Mom had died in 1960 and Dad in 1962. She asked who else would know.

A-ha, my sister Clellie! So we called her. It was about 12:30AM in Denver - 2:30AM in Florida!

We woke up Clellie with "Hi, Clellie, it's Gus."

"Who?"

"Gus."

"Gus who?"

"Gus Philpott. You know, your brother..."

heh-heh. She told us that Mom had nicknamed me Gus. When Mom was pregnant with me, I'd kick, and Mom would say, "Down, Gus." Clellie thought maybe there had been a stablehand at Missouri Stables named Gus.

Anyway, Dad insisted that my legal name be Frank, and that's what ended up on my stocking.

The Ultimate Re-Gift

Way back in 1951, my older sister, Clellie, gave me a money envelope containing $1 for Christmas. Hey, back then, a dollar was worth something!

Unbeknownst to her, I saved it, and the next year I gave it back to her. And then she saved it and gave it back to me. Every year, without a break, it has gone back and forth.

And, sure enough, I got it for Christmas this year, in 2013. That makes 62 years the money envelope has gone back and forth.

Thanks, Clellie. I love you.

Gus