The John A. and Marion L. Walsh Library Endowment in Military Science was established in 1997 by F. Michael Walsh, M.D. (’67), and his wife, Lillian, in honor of his parents.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1918, John “Jack” Walsh was commissioned in the United States Navy at the beginning of World War II. Severely injured in the Battle of Guadalcanal, he was awarded the Navy-Marine Corps Medal for heroism and a Purple Heart. In his work career, he was vice president of the First Bank & Trust in South Bend (now 1st Source Bank). At Notre Dame, he worked as a guide in the Hesburgh Library and served as a lector and Eucharistic minister at Sacred Heart Parish.

Jack and Marion were married in 1942 at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Marion sustained her passion for art by volunteering at the Snite Museum of Art for more than 15 years. They had two children: Mike, and Patrice Ellen Weingart.

This endowment has provided funds for acquiring resources on military science and issues pertaining to it, such as peace studies, history, political science, economics, social studies, area studies, and business. Recently, The Libraries’ collections for European history and social sciences added many new volumes that address conflicts in Western Europe over the past three centuries. Given an expressed interest from several history department professors, special focus was placed on books examining the Austrian Hapsburg Empire and the broad topic of World War I.