A Writing and Teaching Life: A Memoir

Michael O’Brien, a native of Green Bay, Wisconsin, received his B.A. in 1965 from Notre Dame. He received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in 1971. He taught for thirty-two years until his recent retirement. The memoir chronicles his early years in Green Bay, the tragedy of his father’s illness and early death, his strong and inspiring mother, and his athletic career. It describes his years at Notre Dame, graduate work at Wisconsin, and the influence on his life of Martin Luther King. His books explore the lives of famous Americans, a subject he loves. He explains his writing encounters with the demagogue Joseph R. McCarthy, the legendary coach Vince Lombardi, Notre Dame’s humanitarian President Fr. Theodore Hesburgh, and Senator Philip Hart, the “Conscience of the Senate.” One chapter explores the author’s thoughts as his biography of John F. Kennedy moves to publication, his disappointment at receiving little publicity, and the glory of mostly excellent reviews. “He has the heart and endurance of a long-distance runner—patient, determined, persevering, and driven by iron-willed self-discipline,” one reviewer said of O’Brien. His writing has earned top awards from Choice Magazine, the Wisconsin Library Association, the National Catholic Press Association, and the Wisconsin Magazine of History. He views writing as a vocation. “A vocation,” said Sydney Harris, “implies a call, a summons to a certain way of life, of thinking and feeling.” One makes sacrifices for the vocation, views the art as precious, and seeks to emulate great writers.