The Jesuits and Vince Lombardi

7/28/2011

The Jesuit system of education has long been recognized as demanding, strict, efficient, and exacting and has been known for producing graduates of strong will and personal values including character, moral reasoning, and sound judgment (three of my favorite themes).  Legendary coach, Vince Lombardi, wrote in some detail of the Jesuit philosophy of education at his alma mater, Fordham University.  The Fordham University Bulletin made it clear that intellectual development mattered less than the cultivation of character and moral reasoning.  It stated that knowledge produced "no moral efficiency."  Only religion could "purify the heart, guide and strengthen the will" (the development of a strong will cannot be found as a dimension or learning outcome for secondary or college education in today's literature).  Reverend Robert I. Gannon, the Fordham president in 1936, admonished the "single-minded pursuit of the intellectual virtues."  Conversely, Gannon demanded that Fordham make character-building the central theme of its educational program.

Most remember Vince Lombardi as the great coach of the Green Bay Packers, but few remember that he started as a teacher/coach at St. Cecilia High School.  He was hired in 1939 to teach Latin, physical education, chemistry, and physics as well as to serve as the head basketball coach and assistant football coach (only a Jesuit education could produce a teacher so diverse).  In those days, Coach Lombardi was better known for his teaching than his coaching.  He was always prepared, demanding, and exacting wrote Michael O'Brien author of "Vince."  His temper (some described it as rage) was more like verbal abuse according to some.  Nonetheless, he was praised for his demanding expectations and personal values.  There was always a degree of fear and intimidation associated with meeting Coach Lombardi's standards.  Notwithstanding his fearsome approach to teaching, he was held in awe by his students and often described by the alumni as their finest teacher.  Father Guy McPartland described him as follows - "He had the will of a perfectionist, the mind of a fundamentalist, and the heart of a father."

Even today, teachers such as Coach Lombardi exist.  One comes to mind here at Riverside - one whom I quietly admire.  In discussing teacher classroom demeanor yesterday, Dean Jim Robison reminded me that, "a teacher should not smile in the classroom until Thanksgiving."  The Dean is correct (aren't they always); the teacher's demeanor sets the tone for the classroom and that demeanor lets the class know that learning is serious business, and the classroom is no place for foolish behavior, non-essential chatter, and anything less than attentive obedience.

In closing, two of my favorite related quotations:

"Body and spirit I surrendered whole to harsh instructors and received a soul."
Kipling

We should remember that one man is much the same as another and that he is best who is trained in the toughest school.
Thucydides