Fonds - Edward Monahan fonds

Identity area

Reference code

Title

Edward Monahan fonds

Date(s)

  • 1953 - 2018 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

54.4cm of textual records
17 floppy disks

Context area

Name of creator

(17 August 1928 - 6 July 2021)

Biographical history

Edward Monahan received a Bachelor of Philosophy from the University of St. Michaels College in 1949. He continued at St. Michaels College and graduated with an M.A in 1950, and a PhD in 1953, both also in Philosophy. He also received a Licentiate in Mediaeval Studies from the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies in 1953.

Monahan’s career was filled with academic professing and university administration. His teaching appointments include Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Villanova University from 1953-1956; Associate Professor of Philosophy at Xavier University from 1956-1957; and Associate Professor of Philosophy at St. Francis Xavier University from 1957-1964.

Monahan acted as the Associate Executive Secretary of the Canadian Association of University Teachers from 1965-1970, where he co-chaired The Commission of Inquiry on Forty Catholic Related Colleges and Universities. He published the results of this Inquiry as A Commitment to Higher Education in 1970. Monahan later acted as the Executive Assistant to the Principal of Queens University from 1971-1972; the President of Laurentian University from 1972-1977; and the Executive Director/President of the Council of Ontario Universities from 1977-1991. Monahan was awarded an honourary doctorate from Lakehead University in 1981. Monahan also served on the Collegium of the University of St. Michaels College and in 1981-82 chaired a committee to study the function of the Collegium, and published the results in what became known as “The Monahan Report.” In the 1990s Monahan reviewed funding, accountability, and governance in colleges and universities across the Commonwealth, and published the results in several scholarly journals.

During his retirement, Monahan wrote Collective Autonomy: A History of the Council of Ontario Universities, 1962-2000, which was published in 2004. The following year he began researching the history of St. Michaels College, and published Teach me Goodness, Truth and Knowledge: A History of St. Michaels College in 2017.

In 2008, Monahan was awarded an honorary doctorate, the Doctor of Sacred Letters, from the University of St. Michaels College in recognition of his service to higher education in Ontario.

Edward Monahan died in Toronto, Ontario, on July 6, 2021.

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

This fonds contains works, correspondences, and ephemera belonging to and about Edward Monahan. The fonds has six main categories of materials: drafts and research notes for “Teach me Goodness, Truth and Understanding,” later published as "Teach me Goodness, Truth and Knowledge"; materials regarding the publication of “Collective Autonomy”; personal correspondence; reports from organizations including the Council of Ontario Universities and St. Michaels Collegium; Laurentian University materials; and reading notes and articles on a variety of philosophical topics. Some of the most notable topics covered in the reading notes include: the contemporary Catholic church, natural law, moral theology, Catholic education, higher education, Greek philosophy, and academic tenure.

These materials document Monahan’s career both as a philosopher and academic, as well as a university administrator.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

  • English
  • French

Script of material

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Finding aid available

Uploaded finding aid

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

Dates of creation revision deletion

Created by L McAusland, 24 October, 2019.

Language(s)

Script(s)

Sources

Accession area

Related subjects

Related people and organizations

Related genres

Related places