Search Results
Collection Donor
Matthew Fitzsimons Endowed Library Collection in History
The Matthew Fitzsimons Endowed Library Collection in History was established by Michael R. Hayes (’57). It provides funding for the acquisition or maintenance of history resources for the Hesburgh Libraries. Mike established three endowments to honor his history professors at Notre Dame: Matthew Fitzsimons, Aaron Abell (benefitting fellowships), and Rev. Thomas T. McAvoy, C.S.C., (an Endowment for Excellence in history). Fitzsimons specialized in 19th- and 20th-century British history, American foreign policy, and the philosophy of history.
Mike Hayes was a native of Madison, Wisconsin. He had a successful career with Johnson & Johnson for nearly four decades. He was an active member of the Notre Dame Club of Vero Beach, Florida, until his death in September 2001. He and his wife Phyllis, who preceded him in death, had three sons: John, Charles, and Hugh.
The history collection contains several important, multi-volume primary document publications from the 19th century. Funding from the Fitzsimons Endowment has allowed purchase of subscriptions to important new journals addressing such topics as 20th-century ideologies and theoretical issues of historical change. It has also helped expand resources for the study of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
The Department of History covers every place in the world and every era. Through its robust collection, scholars and students are able to research a wide array of historical topics in a variety of formats, including original documents, research journals, and textbooks. This endowment makes that possible.