Interview of Joseph O\u27Grady, PhD

Dr. O’Grady was born in Germantown, formerly Irishtown, Philadelphia, Pa, in 1934. He attended North East Catholic High School and then attended La Salle College beginning in 1952 majoring in History and Education. While at La Salle he participated in the army program, ROTC, the Caisson Club, and several other organizations. Upon graduation in 1956 he attended Notre Dame University to obtain his Master’s Degree. Immediately following Notre Dame he attended the University of Pennsylvania in 1957, where he worked toward his Doctorate Degree. While working on his doctoral dissertation he was offered a job, by the Christian Brothers, to teach at La Salle in 1959. He took the job and quickly rose to the ranks of a full time, tenured faculty member. In his early years, in order to obtain tenure, he was extremely active on the La Salle Campus and in other historical organizations. He was responsible for organizing the Maurice Frances Egan Lectures, which were held at La Salle in 1963 and later published the lectures in Immigrants influence on Woodrow Wilson’s Policies in 1967. He also founded several groups on campus including the Faculty Senate and was actively involved in the Pickwick Club. He served as the chair of the History Department for one term. He is also responsible for founding several groups on campus as well as the Society of Historians of American Foreign Relations. While working at La Salle he also worked for the United States Army for eighteen years beginning during his time at Notre Dame. He often traveled to Washington D.C. and worked in the Pentagon conducting interviews and research on military affairs. He retired from La Salle in 1999 and at the time of the interview said he spent much time in retirement traveling with wife Connie to visit their five children and fifteen grandchildren. Dr. O\u27Grady passed away on August 15, 2021