III 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 66 

Honoring the life, achievements, and distinguished career of the Reverend 

Robert F. Drinan, S.J. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 1, 2007 

Mr. KERRY (for himself, Mr. KENNEDY, and Mr. LEAHY) submitted the 

following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the life, achievements, and distinguished career 

of the Reverend Robert F. Drinan, S.J. 

Whereas the Reverend Robert F. Drinan, S.J. was a talented 

scholar, who received a bachelor’s degree in 1942 and a 

master’s degree in 1947 from Boston College, a bachelor’s degree in law in 1949 and a master of law degree 

in 1951 from Georgetown University, and a doctorate in 

theology in 1954 from Gregorian University in Rome, 

Italy; 

Whereas Father Drinan entered the Society of Jesus in 1942, 

completed his seminary work at Weston College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was ordained as a Jesuit 

priest in 1953; 

Whereas Father Drinan was an influential educator who 

served as the Dean of the Boston College Law School 


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•SRES 66 ATS 

from 1956 to 1970 and transformed it into one of the 

leading educational institutions in the United States; 

Whereas Father Drinan was elected in 1970 to represent 

Massachusetts in the House of Representatives; 

Whereas Father Drinan represented Massachusetts in the 

House of Representatives from 1971 to 1981, the first 

Roman Catholic priest ever to serve in Congress as a voting Member; 

Whereas Father Drinan, during his service in the House of 

Representatives, was an advocate for social justice, a 

fighter for civil rights, and a champion in the cause of 

international human rights; 

Whereas Father Drinan drew on his legal expertise to make 

significant contributions in the areas of copyright law reform, consumer protection, and criminal justice; 

Whereas Father Drinan renewed his commitment to education, after his service in Congress, as a professor at 

Georgetown University Law Center, where he specialized 

in constitutional law and human rights and taught more 

than 6,000 students; 

Whereas Father Drinan was the founder and faculty adviser 

to the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics and was the 

author of 12 books on major public policy issues; 

Whereas Father Drinan was the recipient of 22 honorary degrees and was a visiting professor at 4 universities; 

Whereas Father Drinan’s service led the American Bar Association (ABA) to award him the ABA Medal in 2004, the 

organization’s highest honor, given to individuals who 

make exceptionally distinguished contributions to the jurisprudence of the United States; and 


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•SRES 66 ATS 

Whereas Father Drinan’s lifelong leadership in promoting 

greater awareness of the importance of international 

human rights resulted in 2006 in the establishment by 

the Georgetown University Law Center of an endowed 

chair in his honor, known as the Robert F. Drinan, S.J. 

Chair in Human Rights Law: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) honors the life, achievements, and distin3 guished career of the Reverend Robert F. Drinan, 

4 S.J.; 

5 (2) offers its appreciation for Father Drinan’s 

6 devoted work on behalf of the thousands of Massa7 chusetts residents he represented in the House of 

8 Representatives and the millions of people worldwide 

9 who benefitted from his human rights initiatives; 

10 and 

11 (3) expresses its condolences to Father 

12 Drinan’s family and friends. 

Æ 


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