The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-03-13
DIR. EGAN TO GET
DECORATION SOON
Laetare Medal Awarded TO
American Diplomat.
AN AUTHOR OF DISTINCTION
Former Professor in Catholic Uni
versity Honored for HE Service to
Church Literature and Education.
Medal Is Large Disc of Pure Gold
and Bears n Latin Motto.

The Laetare medal, which is the high
est decoration of honor for lay mem
Der OF the Catholic Church in the United
States and which is annually conferred
on some man or woman who has
achieved distinction "a art literature.
science, or philosophy. and which was
awarded this year TO the American Min
lister TO Denmark, Maurice Francis Egan,
author. educator. and diplomatist. will be
presented In June. The award is made
for distinguished services to Catholic
literature and education
For twenty years before his appoint
ment TO the court OF Denmark DR.. Egan
was q professor Of literature. and during
that period published several important
works on literary criticism, but his
claims to literary distinction rest most
on the verse which he has written Crit
les like Edmund Clarence Stedman and
Richard Watson Glider placed him among
the three best sonneters in English. Be
cause the literary quality Of his work is
so fine, and chiefly because his themes
are so elevating, the trustees Of the Uni
versity Of Notre Dame selected DR.. Egan
as the recipient of the Laetare medal
this year The medal takes its name
from the title given the fourth Sunday
of Lent, the day when the announcement
Of the award is always made. It cor
responds to the decoration Of the Golden
Rose, which Is annually conferred by the
Pope.
Eminent Men Present.
The actual presentation of the medal
takes place at a time when dignitaries
Of the church and men eminent in the
recipients line of work can be brought
together.
The medal is large disc Of pure gold,
richly enameled, and bearing in relief
some design suited to the profession of
the recipient. A motto, in Latin. Truth
is mighty and shall prevail surrounds
the design. Accompanying the medal is
an address hand-painted on silk.
The Laetare medal was first bestowed
| in 1883. It was then conferred on the
| historian John Culinary Shea. In sue
cession. the following we're decorated:
Patrick ]. Kelley. architect; Eliza Allen
Starr, art critic; Gen. John Newton. civil
ma Hanson Dorsey, author; William J.
Onahan, publicist; Maj. Henry F. Brown
son, soldier and scholar: Patrick DOna-
hue, editor and philanthrOpist; Augustin
Daily, theatrical manager; Anna Z. Sad
/ lier. author; Gen William F. Rosecrans,
soldier; Thomas Adds Emmett, physi-
clan; Timothy f. Howard. jurist John
A Creighton. philanthropist: William
Bourke Cochran. lawyer and statesman;
John B. Murphy. surgeon; Thomas Fitz-
patrick. merchant and philanthropist:
Francis Quinlan, surgeon; James c.
Monaghan. publicist, and Christine Tier
nan. author.
Maurice Francis Egan was born in
Philadelphia in 1s53 and graduated from
La sale College in 1873. He received the
degree OF NJ. A. from the University Of
Notre Dame in 1873 and OF IL. from
lGeorgetown in 1873 IN 1891 the Univer-
sity OF Ottawa conferred on him the De
gree of ]. U. D. and Villanova the de-
gree Of Pm. D. in 1907.
In 1878 he started in newspaper work
and was successfully reporter, subeditor
and editor until 1883, when he was called
to the chair of English literature in the
University of Notre Dame. where he re
manned until 1885, when he went 10 the
Catholic University of America, In Wash
ington. as PROFESSOR of literature In
1907 he was appointed by President Roose-
welt Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
! Plenipotentiary to Denmark.