Justin Albert Driscoll (September 30, 1920 – November 19, 1984) was an American Roman Catholic clergyman. He served as president of Loras College in Iowa (1967–1970) and as bishop of Fargo in North Dakota (1970–1984).
Driscoll was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Dubuque at the Cathedral of Saint Raphael in Dubuque on July 28, 1945 by Archbishop Henry Rohlman.[2] After his ordination, the archdiocese assigned Driscoll as a teacher at Loras Academy in Dubuque. In 1948, he became secretary to Rohlman.[1] In 1952, Driscoll received his doctorate from Catholic University.[1] Returning to Iowa, he served as secretary to Archbishop Leo Binz (1952–1953) and as superintendent of Catholic schools in the archdiocese (1953–1967).[1]
President of Loras College
Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa (2005)
Driscoll was named president of Loras College in Dubuque in 1967.[1] During his administration, he gave full scholarships to 16 African American students. According to later Loras President Francis Friedl, these students were supposedly radicalized after spending a summer at Operation Breadbasket, a community action group run by Reverend Jesse Jackson's in Chicago[3]
In October 1969, the Black Student Union, composed of these 16 students, submitted a proposal to the college for a Black Culture House at Loras. When the Loras board of regents declined the proposal, the black students staged a occupation of a campus building on November 3rd.[4] Driscoll negotiated with the students, but no agreement was reached before they voluntarily left the building after several hours.[5]
Driscoll did not want to impose punishment on the students, but the college board of discipline suspended them for one semester.[5]On November 8th, the start of their suspension, the 16 students refused to leave the campus. After a long meeting of civil rights leaders, student representatives and college officials, Driscoll on November 9th converted their suspensions into probationary periods.[6]
