Established in 1984, the John Cardinal O'Hara Award is conferred on an alumnus/alumna who is a former employee of Notre Dame and has rendered distinguished service to the University.
Past Recipients
The O'Hara Award was presented in June 2008 to:
Thomas L. Shaffer ’61 J.D.
With this award, Thomas L. Shaffer ’61 J.D. is honored for his outstanding service to the University as a professor in the Law School. Now professor emeritus, Professor Shaffer has written nearly 400 scholarly works in the areas of estate planning, law and religion, legal ethics, clinical teaching, and legal counseling.
Professor Shaffer graduated with a B.A. from the University of Albuquerque in 1958 and earned his J.D. cum laude from Notre Dame in 1961. He served as editor-in-chief of Notre Dame Lawyer while he was a student.
A member of the Notre Dame faculty since 1963, Professor Shaffer began his career at Notre Dame teaching estate planning in the Law School. He served as associate dean from 1969 to 1971, and as dean from 1971 to 1975.
After serving as a professor at various universities, Professor Shaffer rejoined the Notre Dame faculty in 1988 as a chaired professor. Recently, he has lent his services as a supervising attorney in the Notre Dame Legal Aid Clinic, where law students provide legal services to low-income South Bend residents while also practicing clinical ethics.
Before joining the Notre Dame faculty in 1963, Professor Shaffer worked for Barnes, Hickam, Pantzer & Boyd. While teaching at Washington & Lee University Law School from 1980 to 1988, Professor Shaffer was director of the Frances Lewis Law Center and was named the Robert E.R. Huntley Professor of Law. He has been a visiting professor at many universities, including the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of Virginia, and the University of Maine. He also was the Richard Huber Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law at Boston College Law School, and the Edward Godfrey Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law at the University of Maine.
Past Recipients
2008—John T. Goldrick ’62, ’70 M.A., ’84 J.D.
2007—Francis X. (“Tim”) Bradley, Jr. ’39, ’49 M.S., ’49 J.D.
2006—Dr. Francis M. Kobayashi, '47, '48 M.S., '53 Sc.D.
2005—James A. Roemer '51, '55 J.D.
2004—Sr. Elaine V. Desrosiers, O.P. '66 M.S.
2003—Dr. Thomas P. Bergin '45
2000—M. Bruce Harlan '49, '80 M.A.
1999—James D. Cooney '59
1998—Capt. William O. McLean '75 M.A.
1997—Frederick H. Baumer Jr. '58
1996—Thomas W. Fallon '42
1995—Thomas F. Broden '49 J.D.
1994—Robert J. Waddick '51
1993—Robert G. Sanford '40
1992—Leo M. Corbaci '51
1991—Rev. John Burke, C.S.C., '36
1990—John R. Malone '42
1989—Thomas J. Stritch '34, '35 M.A.
1988—Edward A. Fischer '37
1987—C.J. "Jake" Kline '21
1986—Walter M. Langford '30
1985—Louis F. Buckley '28
1984—M. Robert Cahill '34
