The Clinton Faille Library Endowment in the History of Journalism was established in 1999 through the estate of Clinton Faille ('29). Born in Escanaba, Michigan, Clinton spent most of his career with the New York Daily News. He and his wife, Helen, who preceded him in death, had two children: Clinton and Suzanne.

The Hesburgh Libraries primarily utilizes the Faille Endowment to purchase historical newspapers, and increasingly, these funds provide access to digital format. This greatly enhances the research conducted by students and faculty, as they are able to use important primary sources not otherwise available to the Notre Dame community. These newspaper collections are especially important for undergraduates who are not able to travel to libraries and archives off-campus. As the field of journalism changes over time, the Libraries also uses the Faille Endowment to add monographs to the collection, which reflect changes and challenges in the field.

The endowment’s first major acquisition was the magnificent resource Early English Newspapers, 1610–1900. Hence, straight away the Faille family earned the lasting gratitude of not only those studying journalism and its history, but also those working in politics, sociology, law, American studies, and many other areas.