By GIRISH SWAMINATH
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Fordham University & the United States: A History, by Debra Caruso Marrone, FCRH ’81, was published on Sept. 12. The book intricately traces the history and development of Fordham University from the days prior to its founding in 1841 alongside the historical milestones of the U.S. as a whole.
The account includes information about aspects such as the many Jesuits and students who served during the Civil War and the establishment of the medical, law, and other graduate schools in 1907. It chronicles the Fordham students who served in the Fordham Overseas Ambulance Corps during World War I, the Rose Hill troop encampments during World War II and the construction of the Lincoln Center campus. Also noted are visits to Fordham by Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry Truman and, prior to their presidencies, Senator John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard M. Nixon. The book covers Fordham’s rebirth, with that of the Bronx, and the evolution of Catholic and Jesuit higher education.
“[The book] captures the history from the earliest days when the Rose Hill property was owned by Native Americans, then by the Dutch, then by American farmers, and subsequently by Archbishop John Hughes,” Caruso Marrone said. “Some very important U.S. history happened at Fordham and a mark was made by people who attended and managed the university over the years.”
Caruso Marrone spent hundreds of hours researching information and anecdotes for Fordham University & the United States: A History.
“I interviewed plenty of graduates, the oldest of whom was from the Class of 1950,” Caruso Marrone said. “He [Frank Corbin] has an acute memory and had many amusing stories to tell. I also interviewed several former professors and historians on campus.”
Caruso Marrone was inspired to write the historical account during a Fordham College Alumni Association Board of Directors meeting as the group was discussing fundraising ideas to sponsor travel fellowships and scholarships for students.
“I was thinking that typical fundraisers are receptions with drinks and finger food, but why not actually produce something meaningful?” Marrone said. “A book would be a way to raise money and give donors something they could hold on to. When I started writing and doing the research, I realized what a great project it was and had an absolute blast doing it.”
According to a press release issued by Caruso Marrone’s publisher, e-Litbooks (e-Litbooks.com), “seventy percent of all proceeds [from the book] will be donated to the Fordham College Alumni Association for the newly established Journalism Scholar’s Award.”
Caruso Marrone was News Director at radio station WFUV during her undergraduate career at Fordham. She was part of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions’ alumni outreach team [F.A.S.T.] and even competed with a team of fellow Fordham alumni on MSNBC’s “Remember This,” a trivia show hosted by Al Roker. The team won the top prize of $20,000 for Fordham.
“I’ve continued to be involved with Fordham, one way or another,” Caruso Marrone said. “It’s been a joy. I’ve made so many friends and have had so many colleagues from Fordham who have helped me – and I’ve always tried to help them. The notion of the ‘Fordham family’ holds real meaning for me.”
