Thirty-One Days of Italians

The purpose of this website is to educate others about the significant contributions that those of Italian heritage have made to America. Biographies range from one to several paragraphs providing an overview, and links to a collection of selected resources are provided for more in-depth research. The information is intended to be shared and distributed; however, the work in this website is a result of massive hours of researching, organizing, creating, and writing. If you use any of the information on this website, please give proper credit by citing Thirty-One Days of Italians and adding a link to this website. Thank you.

Father Joseph Cataldo, S.J. (1837-1928) Worked with the Couer d'Alene, Spokane, and Nez Percé tribes in the late 1800s. His desire to educate led him to open the first Catholic school and church in Spokane. Plans for a college followed and in 1887, he established Gonzaga University. Born in Terresini, Sicily, Joseph M. Cataldo was 15 years old when he joined the Society of Jesus, Sicily Province, in Palermo. In 1860, during the uprising of Garibaldi's forces in Sicily, Cataldo was sent to Rome. Two years later, he requested an assignment to the Rocky Mountain Mission in northwest America. In 1865, he arrived in northwest Idaho, first ministering to the Couer d'Alenes, and then traveled to Spokane, Washington to establish a mission there. In Spokane, Father Cataldo founded some of the first Catholic churches. He became proficient in speaking and writing many of the native languages, and wrote a bible for the Nez Percé. In 1877, during a battle between the Nez Percé and the American government, he helped mediate peace between neighboring tribes. The same year, he was named Superior of the Rocky Mountain Mission. Father Cataldo wanted to create a Catholic school and in 1881 purchased 320 acres for under $1,000. Gonzaga College, named after St. Aloysius Gonzaga, protector of children, opened six years later as a college for white boys. The college became a university in 1912 and allowed women in 1948. In 1893, Father Cataldo left his post at the Rocky Mountain Mission to return to missionary field work, traveling among several missionaries until his death in 1928.

EDUCATION

John N. LaCorte (1910-1991) Born in New York and raised in Sicily, John N. LaCorte returned to New York in 1939 and became a successful businessman selling life insurance. He was proud to be an American and with a majority of his clientèle Italian immigrants, he understood the difficulties Italian immigrants faced in America. LaCorte was aware of the cultural differences the immigrants faced and was particularly concerned about the negative Italian stereotypes and the harmful effects caused by prejudice. LaCorte know that many Italians had a positive impact on America, but the role of Italians and Italian Americans in history was not known. He was determined to publicize these accomplishments. To educate others about the accomplishments of those of Italian heritage, in 1949 he founded the Italian Historical Society of America, with a goal of “popularizing the lives of the many Italians who have made significant contributions to Western civilization.” LaCorte was responsible for the installations in Brooklyn, New York of several monuments of notable Italians including a monument to Antonio Meucci, first inventor of the telephone. He brought the accomplishments of Constantino Brumidi – the Michelangelo of the Capitol – and Charles J. Bonaparte (of Italian heritage), Attorney General who was in charge during the development of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to the attention of the public; and he was the driving force behind the naming of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. The spelling was changed to Verrazzano in 2018.  When LaCorte learned a bridge would be built to connect Brooklyn and Staten Island, he started a campaign to name it after Giovanni da Verrazzano, the first explorer to navigate New York Harbor.  After many years and numerous obstacles, he succeeded. In 2004, a monument was placed at the base of the Verrazzano Bridge in Brooklyn’s John Paul Jones Park dedicated to John N. LaCorte for his work in naming the bridge and for his accomplishments as an Italian American. Italian Historical Society of America 100-year Fight to Honor Verrazzano in Battery Park  John Paul Jones Park - John N. LaCorte, Inspiration Through Example  John Paul Jones Park - John N. LaCorte Commemorative Sculpture NEW LaCorte: The Naming of the Verrazzano Bridge [Vimeo] Maria Montessori, MD [HM] (1870-1952) A medical doctor with experience in psychiatry, philosophy, and anthropology, Dr. Montessori combined her fields to focus on educating children. She developed an educational method based on her belief in treating a child with respect and assisting, rather than teaching, which allows the child to develop fully in all aspects of his or her life. Maria Montessori was born in the town of Chiaravalle in the region of Le Marche. Determined and confident, she showed an early interest in education and leadership. She planned a career as an engineer and studied at Regio Instituto Tecnico Leonardo da Vinci; but upon graduating, she decided to become a medical doctor. She enrolled in te University of Rome and graduated in 1896, the first female doctor in Italy. That same year she represented Italy in a conference on women’s rights and spoke about equal wages for women. Dr. Montessori was appointed a surgical assistant at Santo Spirito Hospital in Rome and in her duty of visiting the developmentally disabled, she took an interest in the reactions of the children. She began to formulate procedures to educate children through developing their senses. During this time she accepted a position as a lecturer of anthropology at the University of Rome, but after several years she left to pursue her interests in educating children. In 1907, she established Casa dei Bambini (Children’s House), teaching children of working families. Her methods were so successful she offered a training course that was attended by teachers throughout the world and became the basis for the Montessori Method. A 2007 celebration marked the 100th anniversary of Dr. Montessori’s teachings, and in 2020, Chiaravalle will celebrate the 150th anniversary of Montessori’s birthday. Maria Montessori: 150 Years Maria Montessori, MD. Timeline of Maria Montessori’s Life The Montessori Method [Full Text Translated from Italian] American Montessori Society: Maria Montessori Maria Montessori Institute Giovanni Pietro Antonio Nobili [Father Giovanni Nobili] (1812-1856) Born in Rome, Giovanni Nobili was 16 when he became a member of the Society of Jesus, and was in his early 20s when he took his first vows. He taught humanities at several Jesuit colleges in Italy, until he was ordained a priest in 1843, and then went to the northwest territory of America as a missionary. He spent close to a year at Hudson’s Bay Company’s Fort Vancouver (Washington) where he worked with the company’s employees and the local native tribes, learning their languages and customs. In 1845 he was sent to New Caledonia (now British Columbia) and ministered to numerous native tribes until 1848, when he was sent to San Francisco during the Gold Rush. In California, he and fellow Jesuit Michael Accolti founded Santa Clara College, the first college in California. Pere John Nobili The First Italian Families of Kelowna John Nobili [Dictionary of Canadian Biography] Santa Clara University History

Father Michael Accolti (1807-1878) One of the first Italian Jesuits to work as a Missionary in the Pacific Northwest, Father Michael Accolti was born in Conversano in the province of Bari, Puglia, and joined the Jesuits when he was 25. In 1844, he traveled to Oregon to work with Native Americans. Four years later, he was called to San Francisco – along with Father Giovanni Nobili – to minister in the Gold Rush town and to start a school. He was called back to Oregon and in 1851 he worked with Father Giovanni Nobili to restore Mission Santa Clara and start a college and parish. During this time, Italy was going through political turmoil with regions banding together seeking independence from foreign rule and many Jesuits traveled to California to continue their studies. Father Accolti traveled to Italy and back to America and established the California  Province of Jesuits. In 1855, he helped start St. Ignatius College (now the University of San Francisco) and in 1856, he became prefect of studies at Santa Clara College and parish priest at the Church of Santa Clara. In 1867, Father Accolti returned to St. Ignatius College and stayed there until his death in 1878. He is buried in the cemetery at Santa Clara Mission. Portrait of Michael Accolti, S.J. Co-Founder of Santa Clara College, c. 1854 Italian Jesuits in the American West Brought Religion, Education and More The Founding of St. Ignatius College (1849 - 1861) Mission Santa Clara [Photograph]

Giuseppe (Joseph) Cataldo: Pioneer Missionary and the Last of the Black Robes Gonzaga University History Cataldo, Idaho  Cataldo Mission Poster Stamp

2022-23 List of Names

2023-24 List of Names