Cushing, Cardinal

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Richard James Cushing (August 24, 1895 – November 2, 1970) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Boston from 1944 to 1970 and was made a cardinal in 1958. Cushing's main role was as fundraiser and builder of new churches, schools, and institutions. Unlike his predecessor, he was on good terms with practically the entire Boston elite, as he softened the traditional confrontation between the Catholic Irish and the Protestant upper-class. He built useful relationships with Jews, Protestants, and institutions outside the usual Catholic community. He helped presidential candidate John F. Kennedy deflect fears of papal interference in American government if a Catholic became president.

Cushing's high energy level allowed him to meet with many people all day, often giving lengthy speeches at night. He was not efficient at business affairs, and when expenses built up he counted on his fundraising skills instead of cost-cutting. Cushing, says Nasaw, was "fun-loving, informal, and outgoing. He looked rather like a tough, handsome, Irish cop and behaved more like a ward politician than a high church cleric." His major weakness in retrospect was overexpansion, adding new institutions that could not be sustained in the long run and had to be cut back by his successors.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Dewey D. Stone Papers Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center at New England Historic Genealogical Society
referencedIn Van Waters, Miriam, 1887-1974. Papers, 1861-1971 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf Brooks, Lawrence Graham, 1881-1981. Papers, 1897-1981. Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Frederic Dannay Papers, ca.1920-1982. Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library
creatorOf Feeley, John Richard, 1904-. Papers of J. Richard Feeley, 1913-1960. University of Iowa Libraries
referencedIn Vatican Jewish schema correspondence, 1965 Dec. 16 and 1966. The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives
creatorOf Cushing, Richard, 1895-1970. Cardinal Richard Cushing collection, [19--]. Boston University. School of Medicine
referencedIn Van Waters, Miriam, 1887-1974. Papers, 1861-1971 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf Landreth, Helen. Helen Landreth Papers, 1924-1983 (bulk 1948-1978). Boston College. John J. Burns Library
referencedIn Meyer Matzkin papers Archives of American Art
referencedIn John R. Hickman Audio Collection, 1925 - 1975. Sound Recordings of Historical Radio Broadcasts, World War II Government Documentaries, and Popular Radio Shows, 1906 - 1993. Robert F. Kennedy, ca. 1968. National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Rice, William Brooks, 1905-1970. Papers, 1927-1970 (inclusive). Harvard University, Divinity School Library
creatorOf Harrington, Marion. Marion Harrington Papers, 1950-1971. Boston College. John J. Burns Library
creatorOf White, Eva W. (Eva Whiting), 1885-1974. Papers, 1885-1974 (bulk: 1909-1974) Simmons College, Beatley Library
creatorOf Boston College. Office of the President. Michael P. Walsh President's Office Records, 1921-1971, (bulk 1958-1968). Boston College. John J. Burns Library
referencedIn Christianity Today International. Records of Christianity Today, International, 1954-[ongoing]. Billy Graham Archive & Research Center
referencedIn Boston College. Office of the President. Scrapbooks of the Leonard Feeney controversy, 1949. Boston College. John J. Burns Library
referencedIn Fine, William M. William M. Fine papers, 1963-1965. Library of Congress
creatorOf McCormack, John W., 1891-1980. Letters to John W. McCormack, 1957. Massachusetts Historical Society
referencedIn Joseph Shubow Collection, early 1900-1979, bulk 1934-1969 American Jewish Historical Society
creatorOf Sisters of Charity of Nazareth (Nazareth, Ky.). Records, 1782-1977. University of Notre Dame, Hesburgh Library
referencedIn Guide to the Daily Worker and Daily World Photographs Collection, 1920-2001 Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
creatorOf Cushing, George William, b. 1888. George William Cushing papers, 1904-1959. Detroit Public Library, Detroit Main Library
referencedIn Wayman, Dorothy G. (Dorothy Godfrey), 1893-. Papers of Dorothy G. Wayman, 1862-1971. Library of Congress
referencedIn Pondville Hospital (Norfolk, Mass.). Photographs of facilities and activities, [193-?]-1972. Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Archives
referencedIn Keenan, Joseph D. The Joseph Daniel Keenan papers. Catholic University of America
referencedIn Dannay, Frederic, 1905-1982. Papers, ca.1920-1982. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
creatorOf Newton College of the Sacred Heart (Newton, Mass.). Newton College of the Sacred Heart Records, [1918?]-[1975?], (bulk 1946-1975). Boston College. John J. Burns Library
creatorOf Cushing, Richard, 1895-. Letter to J. Richard Feeley. Brighton, MA. 1957 Nov. 21. University of Iowa Libraries
referencedIn Cardinal Cushing : scrapbook, 1964-1970 (bulk 1970). Boston College. John J. Burns Library
referencedIn Lawrence Graham Brooks papers, 1897-1981 Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Fuller, Lon L. Lon L. Fuller papers. 1926-1977. Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Arlington Street Church (Boston, Mass.). Records, 1927-1980. Andover-Harvard Theological Library
referencedIn Sheldon Glueck papers Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Papers of Samuel Eliot Morison Harvard University Archives.
referencedIn Kennedy Newspaper Clippings collection, 1952-1974 Phillips Memorial Library
referencedIn Rice, William Brooks, 1905-1970. Papers, 1927-1970. Andover-Harvard Theological Library
referencedIn Wyzanski, Charles Edward. Charles E. (Charles Edward) Wyzanski papers. 1930-1968. Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
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correspondedWith Arlington Street Church (Boston, Mass.) corporateBody
associatedWith Boston College. Office of the President. corporateBody
associatedWith Boston College. Office of the President. corporateBody
associatedWith Brooks, Lawrence Graham, 1881-1981. person
associatedWith Christianity Today International. corporateBody
associatedWith Communist Party of the United States of America. corporateBody
associatedWith Cushing, George William, b. 1888. person
associatedWith Dannay, Frederic, 1905-1982. person
associatedWith Edward J. O'Neill, O.P. person
associatedWith Feeley, John Richard, 1904- person
associatedWith Feeley, J. Richard, 1904- , person
correspondedWith Fine, William M. person
associatedWith Folsey, O.P., William D. person
associatedWith Fuller, Lon L., 1902- person
associatedWith Glueck, Sheldon, 1896- person
associatedWith Harrington, Marion. person
associatedWith John D. Ruscito person
associatedWith Keenan, Joseph D. person
associatedWith Kiley, Elizabeth person
associatedWith Landreth, Helen. person
associatedWith Martin F. Kelly person
associatedWith Matzkin, Meyer, b. 1880. person
associatedWith McCormack, John W., 1891-1980. person
associatedWith Morison, Samuel Eliot, 1887-1976. person
associatedWith Newton College of the Sacred Heart (Newton, Mass.) corporateBody
associatedWith Pondville Hospital (Norfolk, Mass.) corporateBody
correspondedWith Rice, William Brooks, 1905-1970 person
associatedWith Rice, William Brooks, 1905-1970. person
associatedWith Shubow, Joseph Shalom person
associatedWith Sisters of Charity of Nazareth (Nazareth, Ky.) corporateBody
associatedWith Stone, Dewey D., 1900-1977 person
associatedWith Van Waters, Miriam, 1887-1974 person
associatedWith Wayman, Dorothy G. (Dorothy Godfrey), 1893- person
associatedWith White, Eva W. person
associatedWith Wyzanski, Charles E. (Charles Edward), 1906- person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Boston MA US
Subject
Catholic Church
Catholic Church
Occupation
Cardinals
Activity

Person

Birth 1895-08-24

Death 1970-11-02

Male

Americans

English

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