History of Saint Joseph County Indiana United States of America

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William Corby, educator, was born in Detroit, Mich., Oct. 2, 1832; son of Daniel Corby. His father was a native of Ireland and his mother a Miss Stapleton of Montreal, Canada. His ancestors removed from France to England and thence to Ireland and America. He was educated in the public schools, by a private tutor, and at Notre Dame university, 1853-60. As a member of the order of the Holy Cross he was not permitted to take degrees. He was made prefect of discipline at Notre Dame and was ordained priest in 1860. He was pastor of St. Patrick's church, South Bend, Ind., and professor of philosophy and director of the manual labor school of Notre Dame university, 1860-62; chaplain of the 88th N.Y. volunteers and of the Irish brigade of New York, 1862-65, and was present at the battles under McClellan, Burnside, Hooker, Meade and Grant, being especially conspicuous on the battlefield of Gettysburg. He was vice-president of Notre Dame university in 1865; president of that institution, 1866-72; founder of the College of the Sacred Heart, Watertown, Wis., 1872, and its president, 1872-77; president of Notre Dame for a second term, 1877-81; and provincial of the congregation of the Holy Cross in the United States, 1881-97. In 1892 he was elected assistant general of the order for the entire world. He was made missionary apostolic by Pope Pius IX; was elected a member of the military order of the Loyal Legion, May 8, 1896; and was a founder of Notre Dame post, G.A.R., and commander of the post. In 1897, by motion of Gen. Lew Wallace, he was elected chaplain of the Indiana commandery of the military order of the Loyal Legion. He published Chaplain Life: Three Years in the Army of the Potomac (1894). In 1867 he founded the Scholastic Year, afterward Notre Dame Scholastic. He died in Notre Dame, Ind, Dec. 28, 1897.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Saint Joseph County Indiana

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