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ABOUT THE PRESIDENT
King’s College was originally established to educate the sons of miners in the anthracite region of northeastern Pennsylvania. Father O’Hara is himself the proud son of a miner who gave thirty-six years to the industry, and a mother who worked in the region’s garment industry for thirty-five years. His selection is indicative of King’s fidelity to its original mission statement. A graduate of St. Gabriel’s High School, Father O’Hara is a 1971 graduate of King’s with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He received his master’s in theology from the University of Notre Dame and his Ph.D. in political science from The American University, Washington, D.C. Father O’Hara is a professor of political science at King’s. Prior to his academic appointment at King’s, Father O’Hara assisted in relief work with the Missionary Sisters of Charity, the religious community of the late Mother Teresa, in Dacca, Bangladesh, where he also was professor of English at Notre Dame College. He served as professor of political science at the Philosophical Centre of Jinja, Jinja, Uganda. Father O’Hara is a graduate of the Leadership Wilkes-Barre Executive Series. He is a member of the boards of directors of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry, the Diamond City Partnership, CityVest, St. Vincent De Paul Kitchen, King’s/St. Mary’s Developmental Day Care Center, Healthy Northeast Pennsylvania. In addition, Father O’Hara holds membership on the Board of Trustees of Stonehill College, Easton, MA, and the Advisory Council of the Jewish Family Service of Greater Wilkes-Barre. Father O’Hara has received several professional awards, including the Exemplar Award from the University of Notre Dame Alumni Association, the New York State Award for Dedication to Youth, and the King’s College All College Awards for both administrators and faculty. He also chaired the King’s College Catholic Identity Task Force, served on the committees for the Public Policy Institute, Distance Learning, and was faculty advisor to Student Government. Father O’Hara is chaplain-in-residence of Holy Cross Hall. Father O’Hara has conducted research, served on panels and published numerous papers and chapters on the role of religious lobby groups in the American public policy system. Papers he has written or presented include “The Multifaceted Catholic Lobby,” “The Pluralism of the Catholic Lobby,” and “The Civil Rights Restoration Act.” Other publications include “Interest Groups and the Right to Die,” “ Rwanda: The Church Response,” and “ Uganda: A Model of Democracy.” |
A native of Hazleton, PA, Rev. Thomas J. O’Hara, C.S.C., Ph.D., ‘71, was named the eighth president of King’s College in February 1999 and took office the following July. He is the first alumnus to be named president of King’s College.