In Memoriam

Center Carries on McCarthy Legacy of Teaching

Leo Tarcisius McCarthy 
       (1930 -- 2007)

"I'm probably the first 'McCarthy graduate'" says the voice from the front seat.  It is former San Francisco Mayor and California Assembly Member Art Agnos speaking.  We are driving up the interstate to Sacramento.  Art is behind the wheel; Leo is next to him in the passenger seat, and they are reminiscing about the many miles they had logged together, just like this.

Art goes on to describe how, during those countless trips, he and Leo would talk about politics and policy.  But, to say that Leo McCarthy would discuss politics is a bit like saying former San Francisco 49er Coach Bill Walsh used to discuss football.  Both men scrutinized, unpacked, and analyzed the various elements that constituted their respective worlds.  And, in the case, of Leo, he was constantly sharing the fruits of this analysis with others.  Leo McCarthy's career as an elected official spanned many years, and throughout them all, he was constantly teaching.

The product of these years of teaching is an impressive list of individuals who will tell you what a great mentor Leo McCarthy had been for them.  Art Agnos is simply one of the more visible ones.  Former staff members of Leo's can be found, fittingly, in the office of the Speaker and other parts of the California Assembly.  Some are over in the Senate.  You can even find one of his former staffers in the office of the First Lady.  And, of course, the third most powerful elected official in the United States, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, also counts herself among the ranks of Leo's former students.

The University of San Francisco and the State of California lost Leo T. McCarthy early this year.  As is often the case, the occasion of his death led many in politics and the media to review his life and career of public service.  What was particularly impressive was the consistency of the themes that emerged in those appraisals.  First and foremost, he was unwavering in his devotion to his family.  Be it the driving back home from Sacramento each night, scheduling time to attend his son’s rugby games, or the way his eyes lit up when he spoke of his grandchildren, it was clear that his family was the foundation upon which all of the other accomplishments were constructed.

Leo McCarthy's public life was characterized by passion, integrity, and a commitment to social justice.  He would listen to the voices of those marginalized by the political process with particular attention to the poor, the elderly, and farm workers.  He was willing to take positions on the basis of what he felt was best for California, even if that was unpopular.  He paid a price for his opposition to Proposition 13, for example, but he was right and the state’s schools and local governments have been paying a dear price for not listening to him.

Throughout it all, Leo treated people with respect -- everyone.  Walking the halls of the state Capitol with him gave you a sense of just what kind of public servant he was.  Long-time rival Phil Burton offered a warm (if profane) greeting.  Speaker Nunez and President Pro Tem Perata welcomed him.  Even the woman who has run the elevator in the Assembly for years left her stool to give Leo a hug.  Don Sebastiani ('75) tells of how, when he was first elected to the Assembly as a Republican in 1980, one of the first to welcome him to the Capitol was none other than Leo McCarthy.

It is appropriate, then, that the Center working to inspire and equip students for lives of ethical public service bears the name of Leo T. McCarthy.  (He could never bring himself to call it the "Leo T. McCarthy Center," instead, referring to it as "the public service center at USF.")   We teach our students to examine all sides of an issue, understand the context, and develop the skills needed to be taken to bring about change collaboratively.  As important, we want them to be passionate about fashioning a more humane and just world.  These are the values and lessons that we seek to pass on, just as Leo did during those car rides to Sacramento.

It was the generosity of the McCarthy family that helped to found Center five years ago.  Since then, Leo was even more generous with his time, building support for the Center’s programs and even teaching a course for us in the fall of 2005.  Last spring, an undergraduate student walked into our offices and had a question.  She had completed the internship course with Leo the previous semester and she wanted to know if "Professor McCarthy" would be teaching any courses that spring.  Thinking back now, I smile when I think that, given all the titles he held over his career, he was always playing the role of "professor."  We now work to continue his legacy of preparing men and women to be of service to others.  And who knows, the next Art Agnos or Nancy Pelosi may be right around the corner.

Patrick Murphy

June, 2007 

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