Monk`s Tale – The Presidential Years, 1987–2005

This long-awaited, last installment of the Reverend Edward A. Malloy’s three-volume memoir examines his eighteen years as president of the University of Notre Dame from 1987 to 2005. In this candid and lively account, Malloy, or “Monk” to all who know him, shares his reflections on his presidency following the long-term leadership of Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C.

Malloy describes his transition into the presidency, his approach to leadership, issues related to Catholic identity, the importance of fund-raising, and finding the proper balance in intercollegiate athletics. Communication issues were of paramount importance during Malloy's tenure, and he discusses how he fostered good relationships with the surrounding community, and supported trustees, administration, faculty, and other important constituencies in the governance of the university. An inveterate multitasker, he also examines how he organized his office and schedule, worked with administrative associates, handled a busy domestic and international travel schedule, sustained his participation in numerous external boards, and kept in regular contact with alumni and friends of the university. Finally, he looks at controversial issues, providing an insider’s account of various challenges and crises, from personnel problems to NCAA sanctions to concerns about presidential succession. During nearly two decades, Father Malloy met with presidents and movie stars, sports legends, benefactors, and university employees, many of whom are mentioned in this book. Throughout this volume, Malloy’s love for Notre Dame and its students, faculty, and staff comes through clearly, along with his overwhelming sense of gratitude for the opportunity to lead at a university where faith, community, and service are taken seriously and passed on from one generation to the next.

"The chronicle of an eighteen-year presidency that involves multiple visits to the White House, one-on-one conversations with the Holy Father, and visits with heads of state across the globe is inherently interesting, but Father Monk Malloy gives us much more. He casts light upon the complexity of operating a first-class modern university while remaining faithful to its mission as a Catholic university. He also helps us to remember that while all of this is happening, the inflection points that occur during everyone’s life continue: the loss attendant to his mother’s death, the emotional impact of the events of 9/11 and its aftermath, and the devastation felt at the revelations of the clergy abuse scandal. This is a must read for everyone interested in Notre Dame or the Congregation of Holy Cross." —Carol Ann Mooney, president, Saint Mary's College

"They called him Monk, a terrific Notre Dame basketball player, who became a priest, a professor of theology, lived for years in Sorin Hall, and became one of the great presidents of our university. For eighteen years, Father Malloy did it all. He accomplished so much. He made me very proud, and yes, they still call him Monk." —Regis Philbin, television broadcaster (ND '53)

"Monk Malloy's third volume of his biography brings to life his leadership journey through a chronicle of the routine and the unexpected, the triumphs and the setbacks, the joys and the disappointments. Following Fr. Hesburgh must be daunting for any successor, but we see Monk coming into his own to forge significant advances for Notre Dame by trusting his own instincts honed by study, tested through experience, cultivated in prayer, and rooted in his abiding loyalty to the Congregation of Holy Cross. Monk's gift to us is the candor with which he describes his navigation: the rationale that governs his thinking, self-reflection that recognizes a better way, and deep gratitude that enables grace to lead the way." —Carolyn Woo, president and CEO, Catholic Relief Services

"Monk Malloy chronicles his eighteen-year presidency of the nation’s premier Catholic university much as a sea captain devotes himself to the ship’s log. These pages reveal not only the captain’s acute powers of observation but the inveterate explorer’s wonder and fascination with waters calm or turbulent. It is the latter characteristics—the wonder and fascination—that mark an extraordinary leader." —Reverend Dennis Dease, president emeritus, University of St. Thomas

"Monk's Tale is an account of deeply effective leadership, faith-filled commitment to service of the Church and the academy, and thoughtful reflections on Christian ministry and the human condition. Monk's straightforward and unassuming narrative style shows the personal qualities that students, colleagues, and members of the Congregation of Holy Cross have treasured for years—his wide-ranging intellect and interests, his humility, his wry sense of humor, and his amazing stamina for multiple activities and remarkable accomplishments.  The book is a powerful testimony to God's grace in the life of a priest, professor, and president who has left an impressive mark on Catholic higher education." —Rev. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C., president, University of Portland