The Msgr. Alfred F. Horrigan Award symbolizes Distinguished Service to Bellarmine University. The first of our two awardees has enjoyed a 40-year career at Bellarmine and the University and its students are truly fortunate to have enjoyed his committed and dedicated service. Tom was first introduced to Bellarmine in the fall of 1964 as an instructor. After completing his doctorate at Loyola of Chicago he returned as an assistant professor in 1967 and quickly ascended to the ranks of associate and full professor by 1978.
When you consider his tenure, it is difficult to imagine the number of students' lives that Tom touched considering he taught over 18 different English courses from beginning to advanced levels and almost 10 different interdisciplinary courses. He also found the time to publish over 50 book reviews, three of which have been published in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Tom has also published two of his own books: Political Fiction, Allen Drury, and the Spirit of Age and Patterns of Power in American Political Fiction.
Tom served as Chairman of the Rank and Tenure Committee on five different occasions and on multiple University committees including Vice-Chair of the Committee of the Faculty. He was voted Teacher-of-the-Year by the students in 1973 and won the Metroversity Instructional Award in 1980. Tom did not restrict his involvements to Bellarmine, however, and served as Chairman and President of the Board of Highland Community Ministries. HCM is an ecumenical union of twenty congregations that united to maintain and improve the quality of life in the Highlands of Louisville. Their structure and approach has been much-imitated and Tom played a key role in the formation of the group.
The Msgr. Alfred F. Horrigan Award symbolizes Distinguished Service to Bellarmine University. The first of our two awardees has enjoyed a 40-year career at Bellarmine and the University and its students are truly fortunate to have enjoyed his committed and dedicated service. Tom was first introduced to Bellarmine in the fall of 1964 as an instructor. After completing his doctorate at Loyola of Chicago he returned as an assistant professor in 1967 and quickly ascended to the ranks of associate and full professor by 1978.