2009 Assembly Joint Resolution 53
ENROLLED JOINT RESOLUTION
Relating to: the life and public service of former Congressman Reverend Robert J. Cornell.
Whereas, Father Robert J. Cornell was born on December 16, 1919, in Gladstone, Michigan, and died on May 10, 2009, in De Pere, Wisconsin; and
Whereas, in 1928, the Cornell family moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin, where Robert became a member of St. Francis Xavier Cathedral parish and was very active in parish affairs; and
Whereas, in 1937, he was named the outstanding Catholic boy of Green Bay; and
Whereas, Robert J. Cornell joined the Norbertine Order in 1938 and was ordained a priest in the Norbertine Order on June 17, 1944; and
Whereas, he received his B.A. degree from St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, in 1941, and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., in 1957; and
Whereas, Father Cornell's academic assignments included serving on the faculty at St. Norbert High School and later at Abbot Pennings High School in De Pere, Wisconsin, and Southeast Catholic High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was also vice principal; and
Whereas, Father Cornell was a professor of history and government at St. Norbert College throughout most of his long teaching career and was the Dean of Students at the college for five years; and
Whereas, Father Cornell taught history at The Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and in San Antonio, Texas; and
Whereas, Father Cornell was chairman of the 8th Congressional District and was a member of the State Administrative Committee of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin from 1969 to 1974; and
Whereas, Father Cornell was elected to the 94th Congress and 95th Congress, serving from January 3, 1975 to January 3, 1979, as the U.S. representative from the 8th Congressional District of Wisconsin; and
Whereas, while serving in Congress, most of Father Cornell's congressional salary was used for internships in his Washington, D.C., office for residents of northeast Wisconsin and for student aid at all schools of higher education in the 8th Congressional District; and
Whereas, his influence and community involvement was not limited to the classroom and politics: Father Cornell directed activities for the youth of the area, especially rock concerts with nationally famous entertainers, and later he handled country and rock shows in Green Bay with the proceeds being used for scholarships for St. Norbert College students and graduates; and
Whereas, in his later years, Father Cornell served as chaplain at Nicolet Terrace in De Pere; and
Whereas, Father Cornell is the author of the standard work on the role of Theodore Roosevelt in the great anthracite coal strike of 1902, and his political memoirs, “
Is There a Priest in the House?", as well numerous articles on historical and educational topics for encyclopedias and magazines; and
Whereas, Father Cornell co‐authored a book on the history of St. Norbert College as part of the Centennial celebration in 1998; and
Whereas, Father Cornell was included among “45 Who Made a Difference" in the first century and one-half of Wisconsin Catholic history in 1998; and
Whereas, Father Cornell was a member of the board of trustees of Gallaudet College, a member of the Wisconsin Supreme Court Commission on Judical Ethics, and founding member of Labor Historians and listed as a Distinguished Member of the Organization of American Historians; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the
assembly, the senate concurring, That the members of the Wisconsin legislature find it fitting to commend the devoted public service that Father Robert J. Cornell contributed to this state and his community and recognize his accomplishments as a priest, legislator, and a citizen; and, be it further
Resolved, That the assembly chief clerk shall provide a copy of this joint resolution to Father Cornell's niece, Patti Heil of Centennial, Colorado; nephew, William Cornell of Arlington, Virginia; and St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin.
