Thomas Patrick Melady
Melady Round of Lectures sponsored by the Knight of Columbus (Potomac Council)
at the Catholic Information Center
FAITH FAMILY FRIENDS
by Thomas Patrick Melady
Former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Holy See
A book signing of his biography will accompany this lecture by Dr. Melady. Faith Family Friends is an engaging and elegantly written book. In it he describes how his personal and educational experiences as well as his involvement with the Catholic Church
and the Republican Party shaped his character and set his path toward a distinguished career in academia and public service.
Time: November 12, 2003; Mass: 12:05 PM; Lecture: 12:45 PM; Informal buffet: 1:20 PM Place: Catholic Information Center; 1501 K St, NW, Washington, DC 20005; (202) 783-2062 RSVP: call Jim Sebolka (703) 941-1999 or email: sebolka@usa.net for lecture & buffet reservation or fill in the reservation card at the Catholic Information Center, seating is limited
Thomas Patrick Melady, Jr.
Dr. Melady held four diplomatic posts including US Ambassador to Burundi from 1969-1972; Senior Advisor to the US delegation to the UN General Assembly in 1970; the US Ambassador to Uganda from 1972-1973; and the US Ambassador to the Holy See from 1989-1993. He served as President of Sacred Heart University from 1976-1986 and is now President Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Political Science. Previously, he was the Executive Officer of St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and a Professor of African-Asian Affairs at Seton Hall University. In 1981-1982, while on leave from his University post, he served as Assistant Secretary for Post Secondary Education in the US Department of Education. After completing his assignment in Vatican City, Ambassador Melady served as the 1993-1994 Distinguished Visiting Professor at The George Washington University. Currently, he is the Senior Diplomat in Residence at the Institute of World Politics.
Since 1993, Dr. Melady has served as Chairman of the National Committee for the Catholic Campaign for America and Counsel to Governments and Corporations. Dr. Melady is an authority on Afro-Asian and Central European Affairs and earned his PhD from The Catholic University of America. He is the author of 15 books and numerous articles. He serves on the National Board of Directors of the International League for Human Rights and is former member of the National Board of The National Conference of Christians and Jews. Twenty-eight universities have conferred honorary doctorates on him and six countries have honored him.
Melady is a personal friend of the Bush family. When he was a student at the Catholic University of America, Prescott S. Bush Sr., senator from Connecticut and father of George H. W. Bush, provided him with important documents for his dissertation.
A White House source described Melady as “one of President George H. W. Bush’s pen pals.” Melady, the White House official said, “is a prolific memo writer, and over the years he has influenced the president’s views and thoughts about the church.”
Now, 174 states recognize the Holy See and the structures of US-Vatican diplomatic relations are sound. But, opposition to the diplomatic role of the Holy See appeared in 2000. A group attempted to influence the United Nations (UN) to reduce the status of the Observer Mission of the Holy See to that of a non-governmental organization (NGO). There was an avalanche of support for the Holy See to maintain its UN Observer status.
One of those speaking strongly in favor of the Holy See role at the UN was the then Governor of Texas, George W. Bush.
Pope Paul VI knighted Melady in 1968 and by Pope John Paul II in 1983. He is a member of the Knights of Malta.
Ambassador Melady is also a member of the Knights of Columbus and we are honored he is a member of the Potomac Council.