Hugh Halton, O.P. and the Princeton Controversy Archive
Collection
Identifier: GTM-171221
The Hugh Halton, O.P. and the Princeton Controversy Archive documents the controversy at Princeton University stemming from Fr. Halton's criticism of professors in the religion department. Fr. Halton argued that the professors did not interpret Catholic theology in an appropriate fashion. The collection includes one letter from Fr. Halton to the "Saturday Evening Post," newspaper and periodical clippings about the controversy, and a set of four pamphlets by Princeton professor emeritus George W. Elderkin entitled, "The Roman Catholic Controversy on the Campus of Princeton University," 1955-1958.
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Fr. Hugh Halton, O.P., a Dominican priest who had a degree from Oxford, is best known as the Catholic college chaplain at Princeton University who became embroiled in a controversy from 1955 to 1958 surrounding the teaching of Catholic theology by professors on campus. Fr. Halton held that the professors in the religion department at Princeton did not interpret Catholic teaching in an acceptable manner. At Princeton, Fr. Halton served as director of the Aquinas Foundation.
In 1955, Fr. Halton preached four sermons criticizing Princeton philosophy professor Walter Stace for his teaching about St. Thomas Aquinas. Fr. Halton then criticized the religion department. The controversy engulfed the campus. Fr. Halton urged Princeton to hire an effective instructor of Catholicism. Professor emeritus George W. Elderkin entered the fray, publishing four pamphlets about the controversy which are preserved in this collection. In the fall of 1957, Princeton President Robert Goheen fired Fr. Halton, who actually continued his duties as head of the Aquinas Center for one more year.
[Sources: "Father Halton: The Stormy Petrel." "Harvard Crimson." 1956 November 9; "God and Man at Princeton." "Princeton Alumni Weekly." 2014 April 2].
0.2 Linear Feet (1 box)
English
Gift of William M. Klimon, 2017.
Some newspaper clippings are worn
Part of the Georgetown University Manuscripts Repository