Thomas Meehan, '10 of Providence, gave the presentation speech honoring George Connor at the Hall of Fame Dinner in 1957. Several quotations from that address are included in this tribute.
'When the illustrious class of 1907 gathered for their Commencement Exercises and tall, broad-shouldered, young George Connor stepped forward for his diploma, the crescendo of applause was for the idol of the gridiron, the Captain of the football and basketball teams of that year. Later, historians and pundits of the game placed him on the 'All Time, All Holy Cross Team' as one of the two greatest ends ever to wear the Purple'. George Connor, known as Doc as an undergraduate, scored the first Crusader touchdown against Harvard in 1906. That team was so good '' that five of its best players left to play football for other colleges the next year'. George Connor was the first of only two football players to captain two football teams, 1905 and 1906. He also played basketball and his size and athletic ability made him the 'go to guy' in those early days of Holy Cross basketball and he was captain of the 1906-'07 team. I believe he is the only athlete to be captain of three Holy Cross teams.
Tom Meehan continued, 'But the qualities of the man ' his energy, courage and strength which won him acclaim on the playing fields of Holy Cross ' undoubtedly raised him to distinction in his later career as priest in the service of God and his country'. After ordination, he served at St Bernard's in Fitchburg. In 1917, he went as Chaplain of the second Massachusetts Regiment to the Mexican border. Later in 1917, he was commissioned in the U.S. Army and served in France with the Twenty Sixth Division. While in France he was promoted to Senior Chaplain of the Thirty Second Division and, subsequently, became Senior Chaplain of the Third Army Corps. He received the Croix de Guerre from France for bravery in action. After World War I he returned to service in the Diocese of Springfield but was again called to duty when World War II began for the United States in 1941 and he was named Vicar Delegate of the Military Ordinate of the United States Forces. After the war he returned to Springfield and was named Vicar General of the Diocese of Springfield and vested as a Domestic Prelate. Monsignor George Connor was a great athlete, a great priest and a great soldier.
He has been, through the years, a most loyal and devoted son of Holy Cross. He was the National President of the General Alumni Association from 1936-'39. His athletic ability is the reason he is in the Hall of Fame, but his character and military service define him as a very special inductee.
