Joseph Connors Papers

Joseph B. Connors was born December 2, 1914 in Ashland, Wisconsin but was raised in Minnesota.  He graduated with a BA from the College of St. Thomas in 1937 and then taught at the St. Thomas Military Academy until 1942.  He served in the U.S. Army from 1942 – 1946.  Upon his return to civilian life, Connors continued graduate study in English at the University of Minnesota (MA 1947, Ph.D. 1962) and taught as a Professor of English at the College of St. Thomas from 1947 – 1955.  In 1955, he became an Associate Editor at the Catholic Digest.  He continued in that position until 1962, when he returned to CST to serve as the Assistant Director of Development during the College’s Ever Press Forward campaign.  In 1964, Connors returned to the English faculty of the College, teaching his specialty of 18^th and 19^th Century English Literature until his official retirement in 1982. Connors then concentrated on writing the history of the first one hundred years of College of St. Thomas, Journey Toward Fulfillment. Connors was recognized by the College of St. Thomas as the Professor of the Year in 1974 and as a Distinguished Alumnus in 1986.