Patrick J. Cormican, SJ Papers
Collection
Identifier: GTM-GAMMS13
The Cormican papers consist of materials dating from Fr. Cormican's years at Georgetown University. The largest part of the collection is poetry in hectographed form written by Fr. Cormican. Along with the poetry are several essays and a brief autobiographical sketch dated 1925. The most significant part ot this collection, however, is the material relating to Jeannie Gourlay Struthers, the Scottish American actress. In addition to a few letters of a personal nature sent by Mrs. Struthers to Fr. Cormican, there are multiple copies of a long letter relating her memories of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theater on April 14, 1865 as she performed the role of Mary Meredith in 'Our American cousin'. The account of the assassination is preceded by a few biographical notes on the writer and the Gourlay family. Also included is a photograph of Jeannie Gourlay as a young woman and several colored reductions of the photo in folding cardboard frames.
Patrick J. Cormican was born in Lurgan, County Galway, Ireland on March 21, 1858. After a few years of study at the seminary in Ballinasloe, he immigrated to the United States in 1878 and immediately enrolled at St. John's College, Fordham, N.Y. He left St. John's before receiving a degree and entered the Society of Jesus on Aug. 28, 1880 at the West Park (N.Y.) Novitiate. He continued his studies at the Frederick (Md.) Novitiate and Woodstock College of Maryland and was ordained to the priesthood in 1894. During his nearly sixty-five years in the Society Fr. Cormican taught at many Jesuit institutions of higher education, including Boston College, Canisius College, the College of St. Francis Xavier in New York City, the College of the Holy Cross, and Fordham University. During 1923-1925 he was at Georgetown University, where he was a lecturer in the graduate school and university librarian. His last years were spent at St. Ann's Rectory in Buffalo, N.Y., where he died on Feb. 20, 1945
1 Cubic Feet (1 box)
English
Part of the Georgetown University Manuscripts Repository