Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame
Hart, S.J., Rev. Robert P.
Rev. Robert P. Hart, S.J.
- Induction:
- 2001
Rev. Robert Hart, S.J., has been a big fan of Creighton men's and women's athletics since he arrived in Omaha in 1982. Today, almost 20 years later, he is as much a fixture on the sidelines as the athletes themselves.
Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wis., "Padre" - as he is known to athletics staff and student-athletes - entered the Jesuits after graduating from Marquette High School in 1949 and was ordained in 1962.
After spending four years in Paris, France, where he received his doctorate in theology, Fr. Hart taught at Marquette University for four years before moving to Boston (1972-74) and then on to Connecticut, where he served as chaplain of the Yale New Haven Hospital from 1974-82.
Fr. Hart came back to the province and settled in at Creighton in 1982, where he has served as a theology professor and counselor for the last 19 years. Fr. Hart has also officiated countless marriages and baptisms throughout the course of his Creighton tenure, with many of the unions being former CU student-athletes.
Throughout his life, Fr. Hart was always a big fan of athletics, and he particularly enjoyed watching all of CU's home events once he arrived in Omaha in 1982.
The following year, he had a chance to join the men's basketball team on a road trip, and the rest, as they say, is history. He hasn't missed many trips with the men's basketball team since then, and he started traveling with the baseball and men's soccer teams starting in 1985 and 1990, respectively.
As team chaplain, he is a calming and spiritual presence in addition to being CU's biggest fan.
"I really enjoy being a part of something bigger than myself," Fr. Hart said. "1t is part of an endeavor, and I enjoy traveling, although it is far from glamorous. I love getting around, seeing the country. It keeps me young, keeps me feeling worthwhile."
Fr. Hart said he is uncertain about how the current student-athletes view his presence.
"Bruce (Rasmussen) and Dana (Altman) call me a grandfather figure, and I certainly feel like that," he said. "But I really don't know, that's a tough question. They probably see me like a piece of furniture - always around."
Fr. Hart has seven siblings: Tom, Pat, Sylvia, Julie, Mary, Fran, and Jim.
Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wis., "Padre" - as he is known to athletics staff and student-athletes - entered the Jesuits after graduating from Marquette High School in 1949 and was ordained in 1962.
After spending four years in Paris, France, where he received his doctorate in theology, Fr. Hart taught at Marquette University for four years before moving to Boston (1972-74) and then on to Connecticut, where he served as chaplain of the Yale New Haven Hospital from 1974-82.
Fr. Hart came back to the province and settled in at Creighton in 1982, where he has served as a theology professor and counselor for the last 19 years. Fr. Hart has also officiated countless marriages and baptisms throughout the course of his Creighton tenure, with many of the unions being former CU student-athletes.
Throughout his life, Fr. Hart was always a big fan of athletics, and he particularly enjoyed watching all of CU's home events once he arrived in Omaha in 1982.
The following year, he had a chance to join the men's basketball team on a road trip, and the rest, as they say, is history. He hasn't missed many trips with the men's basketball team since then, and he started traveling with the baseball and men's soccer teams starting in 1985 and 1990, respectively.
As team chaplain, he is a calming and spiritual presence in addition to being CU's biggest fan.
"I really enjoy being a part of something bigger than myself," Fr. Hart said. "1t is part of an endeavor, and I enjoy traveling, although it is far from glamorous. I love getting around, seeing the country. It keeps me young, keeps me feeling worthwhile."
Fr. Hart said he is uncertain about how the current student-athletes view his presence.
"Bruce (Rasmussen) and Dana (Altman) call me a grandfather figure, and I certainly feel like that," he said. "But I really don't know, that's a tough question. They probably see me like a piece of furniture - always around."
Fr. Hart has seven siblings: Tom, Pat, Sylvia, Julie, Mary, Fran, and Jim.
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