Joseph H. Fichter, S.J., Papers (Part I)

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: Collection 12A

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

These papers, which date roughly from the mid-1930s to the early 1980s, capture that commitment to religion, scholarship, and social justice. They contain a wide range of material-primarily correspondence, manuscripts, transcripts of interviews, organizational minutes, questionnaires, and printed material. They have been arranged into six series: Correspondence; Research Projects; Civil Rights; Subject Files; Printed Material; Photographs and Personal Effects. Three of these series-Research Projects, Civil Rights, and Printed Material-are further divided into subseries. Arrangement within each series or subseries is usually either chronological or alphabetical by folder title.

The remainder of this guide consists of the Biographical Sketch, which outlines major points in Father Fichter's life; the Series Description, which provides an overview of the size, arrangement, and contents of each of the six series; the Container Listing, which gives the title of each folder within each box; and the Index to Correspondence, which locates selected correspondence.

Dates

Created: 1930-1980
Other: Majority of material found in 1930-1980
Other: Date acquired: 01/01/1990

Creator

Fichter, Joseph Henry, (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Physical rights are retained by the J. Edgar and Louis S. Monroe Library, Loyola University New Orleans. Copyright is retained in accordance with U.S. Copyright Laws.

Biographical or Historical Information

Personal

1908: Born on June 10 in Union City, New Jersey.

1930: Entered Society of Jesus.

1942: Ordained a priest.

1994: Died in New Orleans

Academic Degrees

1935: A.B., St. Louis University.

1939: M.A., St. Louis University.

1947: Ph.D., Harvard University.

Academic Appointments

1947-1964: Professor of Sociology, Loyola University of New Orleans.

1953-1954: Fulbright Professor, University of Muenster, Germany.

1956-1957: Visiting Professor, University of Notre Dame.

Summer 1959: Visiting Professor, Fordham University.

1961: Fulbright Professor, Universidad Catolica de Chile.

Summer 1963: Universidad Ibero-Americana, Mexico.

Summer 1964: Visiting Professor, Sir George Williams University, Montreal.

1964-1965: Visiting Professor, National Opinion Research Center-University of Chicago.

1965-1970: Stillman Professor, Harvard Divinity School.

Fall 1970: Visiting Fellow, Princeton Theological Seminary.

Spring 1971: Scholar in Residence, Southern Methodist University.

1971-1972: Visiting Professor, State University of New York at Albany.

1974-1975: Favrot Professor, Tulane University.

1972-1982: Professor of Sociology, Loyola University of New Orleans.

1982-1994: Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Loyola University of New Orleans.

Professional Affiliations

American Sociological Association

Association for the Sociology of Religion

Religious Research Association

Society for the Scientific Study of Religion

Southern Sociological Society

Extent

36.00 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The papers of Joseph H. Fichter, S.J., document the life of a priest, scholar, and social reformer. As a pioneer in the sociology of religion and as a champion of social justice, Father Fichter has frequently found himself embroiled in controversy and conflict. That vigorous engagement with his times is reflected in these papers, which shed light upon the Catholic Church, the Society of Jesus, academic sociology, and the quest for social reform.

Fichter has devoted himself primarily to the study of sociology. Although active in professional associations of sociologists and in teaching, he has made his mark mainly as a prolific author. He has written, as of mid-1991, twenty-nine books or major research reports, dozens of journal articles, and hundreds of reviews and articles in newspapers and magazines. His writings have examined myriad topics, including the sociology of education, race relations, and, most notably, the sociology of religion. And yet scholarship has been, for Fichter, a means to a larger end. He has long believed sociology should be an applied discipline that helps identify, understand, and solve human problems. That conviction has caused him to tackle controversial questions and to explore sensitive issues-and has on several occasions placed him at odds with those who preferred to leave certain issues unexamined and certain problems unattended. His early sociological investigations of the Catholic Church, for example, drew criticism and attempts at suppression by some Church officials. And his efforts to desegregate the Church and other institutions, especially in the New Orleans area, elicited bitter attacks from segregationists.

Arrangement Note

This collection is arranged into six series: I. Correspondence (arranged chronologically); II. Research Projects (by project type and then chronologically); III. Civil Rights; IV. Subject Files (alphabetically); V. Printed Material (six subseries by item type); VI. Photographs and Personal Effects.

Source of Acquisition

Fichter, Joseph Henry

Method of Acquisition

Gift, 1990.01

Related Publications

Davidson, James D. and Edgar W. Mills, Jr. "Review Symposium: The Sociology of Religion of Joseph H. Fichter." Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 14 (June 1975): 169-89.

Fichter, Joseph H. One-Man Research: Reminiscences of a Catholic Sociologist. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1973.

Hadden, Jeffrey K. and Theodore E. Long, ed. Religion and Religiosity in America: Studies in Honor of Joseph H. Fichter. New York: Crossroad, 1983.

McDonald, Donald. Catholics in Conversation: Seventeen Interviews with Leading American Catholics. Philadelphia and New York: J.B. Lippincott, 1960.