Michael Patrick O'Connor: In Memoriam

Professor Michael Patrick O’Connor, Ordinary Professor of Semitic Languages and Chairman of the Department of Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures at The Catholic University of America, passed away on Saturday, 16 June 2007.

Professor O’Connor was a member of numerous learned societies, including the American Oriental Society, the Catholic Biblical Association, and the Society of Biblical Literature. He was elected to membership in the prestigious Biblical Colloquium in October 1994. He was a member of the Steering Committee, Society of Biblical Literature Linguistics and Biblical Hebrew Group since 1994.

Professor O’Connor was the author of many scholarly studies and books including his Hebrew Verse Structure (1980), Backgrounds for the Bible, with David Noel Freedman (1987), and An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax, with Bruce K. Waltke (1990). He also leaves behind an almost complete commentary on the book of Esther. He had a special interest in the linguistics of Biblical Hebrew and in Hebrew poetry. He had considerable experience as an editor for important publishers and publications in Biblical studies, among them Eisenbrauns, the University of Michigan Press, and the Anchor Bible

Prior to coming to CUA, Michael O’Connor was Associate Professor of Hebrew and Hebrew Bible at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York (1995-1997), and Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible, Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota (1992-1995)

Michael O’Connor earned a Ph.D. in ancient Near Eastern languages from the University of Michigan in 1978. He received an A.M. degree in ancient Near Eastern studies from the University of Michigan (1974), an M.A. degree in writing from the University of British Columbia (1972), and an A.B. degree in English from the University of Notre Dame (1970). Michael O’Connor also attended the Calasanctius Preparatory School, a school for gifted boys in Buffalo, New York

Michael O’Connor was the son of Anna Maria Crosta O’Connor and the late John David O’Connor, Sr. He has a brother and a sister, John David O’Connor, Jr. and Kathy O’Connor Mullen, and a brother-in-law Mark Mullen, all of Orchard Park, near Buffalo, New York. Condolences may be sent to:

Mrs. John David O'Connor
86 Elmhurst Dr.
Orchard Park, NY 14127

They also may be sent to:

The Department of Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures
035 Mullen Library
The Catholic University of America
Washington, D.C. 2006

Welcome!

The Department of Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures offers two programs--Ancient Near East and Christian Near East studies--that lead to the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. Students in Ancient Near East studies focus on the languages of the Hebrew Bible (Hebrew and Aramaic) with considerable course work in other ancient Near Eastern languages.  The department offers more different forms of Aramaic than any other program in North America. Students in Christian Near East studies can specialize in Arabic, Coptic or Syriac with crossover studies among these specialities. Catholic University was founded as a graduate center, and the Semitics department remains primarily a graduate department; undergraduates, if interested in intensive language study, may enroll in Semitics department courses. It is a part of the School of Arts and Sciences.