Preface
The history of Cleveland is intimately connected with the settlement of the Irish immigrants. Their struggle for survival in the early days, their social, plitical and economic upward movement as well as their impact on the growth of Cleveland is vividly portrayed in this monograph by two distinguished Clevelanders, Nelson J. Callahan and William P. Hickey. The two essays are complementary to each other and expressing the insights, feelings and sensitivities of two individuals who are very much a product of the Irish heritage.
Father Nelson Callahan, born fifty years ago in Cleveland Heights, is a deeply committed diocesan priest and present pastor of St. Raphael in Bay Village, He is also a noted scholar, writer, researcher and teacher. As former Director of Erieview High School, Professor at St. John’s College, Archivist of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, author and editor of anumber of books, journals and other publications, he enriched the life of thousands of people.
As past associate at St. Agatha, a black parish of Cleveland, pro-synodal judge of the Diocesan Matrimonial Tribunal, as well as moderator of the First Friday Club of Cleveland since 1968, he has been influential and highly respected in diocesan affairs.
The fact that he cherishes his Irish heritage is indicated by the positions he has held as trustee of the Irish Civic Heritage Association, honorary judge of the Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and past associate of the largest Irish parish of Cleveland, St. Patrick in West Park.
William F. Hickey chose English as his major study in his undergraduate days at Notre Dame University, but History equally held his interest, inside and outside the classroom, especially that of this country.
Hickey, who has earned his living as a journalist and freelance writer the past 25 years, considers himself “a pretty fair historian” of the American experience in general and considerably more than that when it comes to both the Irish who settled here and those who remained in their native land.
Hickey, of Irish descent on both sides of his family as far back as he can trace his geneaology, was born on the West Side of Cleveland and grew up in suburban Lakewood. He is currently the television critic of the Plain Dealer, after having served stints as a sports columnist and editor of the paper’s weekly entertainment magazine. He resides in Bay Village with his wife, Joan, and their nine children.
To both authors for their outstanding contribution to a better understanding of Cleveland my deepest appreciation. Similarly I owe a debt of gratitude to Fr. Andrew Greeley, nationally known sociologist, scholar and a leading authority in ethnic heritage studies for the introduction which he wrote for his friend Fr. Callahan.
My sincere thanks to Dr. Thomas F. Campbell for reviewing the manuscript, to Mr. Richard Siersen for copyediting, to Mrs. Patricia Bushel-Veronesi for the maps, to Ms. Kathy Donovan of the Time-Life Books, Inc. for many reproductions, to the Cleveland Plain Dealer for the valuable photographs and to Mrs. Judy Slovenec and Mrs. Shirley Lawson for typing and bringing this work to its successful completion.
Dr. Karl Bonutti
Editor, Monograph Series
Ethnic Heritage Studies
Cleveland State University