Thomas C. Hunt Faculty Papers

A native of Madison, Wisconsin, Dr. Thomas Casper Hunt attended Loras College, earning an undergraduate degree in History, graduating magna cum laude in 1952. Catholic University of America awarded him a S.T.L. (Licentiate in Sacred Theology) in 1956, and a M.A. in Secondary Education Administration in 1965. He earned his Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies (Social and Historical Foundations of Education) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1971. He served as a priest in the Diocese of Madison from 1956 to 1969. Before his death he was awarded a second, honorary doctorate from Loras College in recognition of his achievements in research and education.

He was a distinguished historian and educator, and served as a Fellow in the Center for Catholic Education at the University of Dayton, where he taught since 1996. Dr. Hunt was a renowned researcher and expert on the topic of Catholic education. He was a member of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the National Catholic Educational Association. In 2002 Dr. Hunt was awarded the University of Dayton Alumni Award in Scholarship for being a leader in Catholic higher education. He authored or edited more than a dozen books and over sixty journal publications on Catholic education and schooling. He was at the center of the process of setting a national agenda for scholarship pertinent to Catholic education and was instrumental in bringing national acclaim to the University of Dayton as a center of research on Catholic higher education. In addition, in 2006, to honor Dr. Hunt the University of Dayton launched the Thomas C. Hunt Building a Research Community Day. The event showcases faculty research in the School of Education and Health Sciences. In addition to featuring research presentations, the School recognizes summer research grant recipients and Global Education Seminar participants; announces new grant awardees; and presents the annual faculty awards.

Prior to his appointment at the University of Dayton, Dr. Hunt was also a distinguished professor at Virginia Tech for twenty-five years, earning the William E. Wine award for Faculty Achievement and chairing the Honor Committee, amongst many other accomplishments.

Dr. Hunt passed away on April 17, 2014 at the age of 83.