Bringing Evolution to Notre Dame: Father John Zahm, C.S.C. and Theistic Evolutionism

At both ends of the new Jordan Science Hall on the Notre Dame campus, engraved in large medallions in the floor, is an often repeated statement of geneticist Theodosius Dobzhansky (1900–75), published 2 y before his death: ‘‘Nothing makes sense in biology except in the light of evolution’’ (Dobzhansky 1973). This statement on the floor of a hall with statues of two Holy Cross priests—physicist-philosopher Rev. John Zahm (1851–1921), and fellow priest-scientist, Belgian-born botanist and chemist Fr. Julius Nieuwland (1878– 1936)—above its main entrance would certainly have pleased Fr. Zahm, the individual most responsible for the development of the scientific research side of the University of Notre Dame. This would be especially true since this familiar statement from Dobzhansky was the title of an article in which the great geneticist and evolutionist argued for the compatibility of evolution and a sophisticated understanding of ‘‘creation’’ that ended with praise of another priest-scientist and enthusiast for evolution, the French Jesuit Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881–1955). Yet like Teilhard after him, Zahm was to have his share of difficulties with official Church authorities over his strong endorsement of evolutionary theory. This resulted in Zahm’s main work on the topic, Evolution and Dogma of 1896, being recommended by the Sacred Congregation of the Index, the Vatican committee responsible for determining objectionable books, to be placed on the Index of Forbidden Books in 1898, a list of works Catholics were bound in conscience to avoid reading. Despite the fact that the official decree of the Sacred Congregation against Zahm’s book was never officially published, and, therefore, never became binding, this disapproval nonetheless ended Zahm’s string of prolific writings on science and Catholic theology. Only one publication after this date dealt with these issues (Zahm, 1898). The majority of Zahm’s later works, including his pathbreaking Women in Science of 1913, appeared under the nom-de-plume of H. J. Mozans, a scrambling of the letters of his name with the addition of an ‘‘s’’ (Crowe 1977), with some smaller articles and reviews published under the names of ‘‘A. H. Johns,’’ ‘‘Manso,’’ and ‘‘A. H. Solis’’ (Weber, 1961, p. 184). John Zahm was born on 11 June 1851 in New Lexington, Ohio, into a family of 14 children. At the age of 16 he was admitted to the small College of Notre Dame, only in its 25th year of existence, which at the time had a faculty of 39, and a total student body of 448 (Weber, 1961, p. 4). His intent was to study for the Holy Cross priesthood, into which he was eventually ordained in June 1874. As a student, he showed deep interest in science, encouraged in these interests by Father Joseph Carrier, C.S. C. (1833–1904) who headed the department of science at Notre Dame. When Fr. Carrier departed to take over the leadership of St. Mary’s College in Galveston, Texas, in 1875, Zahm, at the age of 23 and without a formal degree in science, succeeded him as Professor of Chemistry and Physics, and served as the co-Director of the Science Department. In the years from 1875 until he finally departed from Notre Dame in 1906, Zahm held the professorship in physics, and also