The death of Rev. Robert Drinan, S.J., was an emotional blow not only to the family and friends who loved him dearly but to the entire nation. Drinan, who died Sunday in Washington at the age of 86 after battling pneumonia and heart failure, was a dynamic member of society who changed all that he touched for the better.
Drinan, known around the nation as a scholar, congressman, dean, and human rights activist, came to Boston College as a young undergraduate seeking a good education, just as many BC students do today.
He stood out even in those early years as an honors student who wrote for Boston College's student newspaper The Heights, where he worked as a member of the rewrite staff and later as a features editor.
He was active in politics as well, writing letters to the editor demanding that the U.S. government help supply food to the conquered territories of Europe during the long winter of 1940.
He carried this Christian philosophy with him throughout his life as he went on receive an undergraduate degree from BC, a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, and a doctorate in theology from Gregorian University in Rome. He joined the Jesuit order in the early 1940s.
Drinan served as dean for the BC Law School from 1956 to 1970, during which time he also filled the role of professor and member of various Massachusetts state commissions. At the age of 35, Drinan was the youngest law school dean in the country. Despite his age, he was able to double the size of BC Law School's faculty and raise its standards for test scores dramatically. The American Bar Association recognized these accomplishments by awarding him its highest honor, the American Bar Association Medal, in 2004.
As dean of the law school, Drinan fostered close relationships with his students. His warm personality and open demeanor made it easy for him to interact continuously with his young charges.
Robert Tobin, a partner in a Connecticut law firm, met Drinan when he was a young undergraduate student working at Amos Rent-a-Car at Logan International Airport to earn money. Drinan, well traveled and often in and out of the airport, struck up a rapport with Tobin, who often supplied him with his rental car. Tobin spoke affectionately of the kindness with which Drinan treated him from their very first meeting.
"Whenever I saw Father Drinan, he always had this glow in his eye. One day he came in, we got to talking, and he was interested to learn that I was an undergrad at BC. He traveled a lot, and he was always allowed to rent a car. When he would come in, he would call me from time to time and it became a personal thing," said Tobin.
Drinan was instrumental in encouraging Tobin to enter law school at BC, and the two remained close friends for many years thereafter.
The story of Drinan and Tobin's friendship is not unique. Everyone who has encountered him seems to recount a similar tale.
Robert Daly, professor emeritus of theology at BC, met Drinan in the early '50s.
Of him he said, "People looked at Bob Drinan with awe. He was still finishing his theology studies, and he was already publishing things."
Daly also spoke of his surprisingly kind manner, saying, "He was easy to get to know. He had a machine-gun like way of speaking. It was off-putting at first, but when you heard what the man was saying, it didn't matter. He was so intelligent. He had an unassuming, humble way of talking. No matter who you were, he was happy and ready to talk to you."
Daly recounted also an incident that occurred only a few days before Drinan's death. It was in the hospital where Drinan was being cared for, a chance meeting with a young Korean student.
"I was struck by the fact that Drinan seemed truly interested in him. He made him feel at home."
It is anecdotal stories like these that convey a true picture of Drinan's life, one full of caring and conviction and true Christian and Jesuit values.
Drinan was one of the few men in the history of our country who was able to translate these values seamlessly from academia to life as a politician.
In 1970, Drinan decided to leave his position as dean and run for a seat on Congress. He won the election and served five terms in the House of Representatives as a Democrat from Massachusetts.
Drinan's tenure as a congressman was an extraordinary one, indeed.
Drinan was the first Catholic priest ever to be elected as a member of Congress. As a representative, Drinan's Jesuit background allowed him to serve with pure aspirations. His ambitions were neither for money nor power; Drinan sought only to improve society for the better.
"When he was in Congress, he saw his job as missionary activity. He was there to bring Christian sensitivity to a place where there was nothing of the kind," said Daly.
And yet, Drinan's liberal viewpoints often seemed to oppose those of the church.
The priest's politician stance often went the way of anti-war campaigns and efforts to support federal funding of abortions and the disallowing of prayer in public schools.
Drinan's intense desire to stop social injustice and his devotion to morality led him to be the first to file a resolution to impeach President Nixon.
Drinan's charges, however, spoke nothing of high crimes or Watergate scandals. His resolution was filed an entire year before the Watergate scandal occurred, and focused instead on the administration's secret bombings of Cambodia.
The year 1980, however, saw the Vatican ruling that no priest could hold a legislative position. Drinan was offered an ultimatum of sorts, and chose to forgo his position on Congress for what he saw as his most important calling: that of the church.
Though Drinan left Congress, his career as an activist and a lawyer never truly ended. The Jesuit lived the rest of his days teaching law at Georgetown University Law School and working as a lobbyist.
He also dedicated much of his free time to the fight to end world hunger.
Drinan was a vibrant, multitalented, and pious individual who gave of himself for the betterment of society, and his life is one that should be celebrated.
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