On Friday, April 19th, the School of Theology and Religious Studies (STRS) celebrated the installation of David Elliot, professor of Catholic moral theology and ethics, as the Grace P. Hobelman Chair in Catholic Moral Theology in memory of Carl D. Hobelman. Dr. Elliot has been with Catholic University since 2017, joining the faculty after completing a three-year postdoctoral fellowship at Cambridge University where he also co-organized academic conferences. He has written 18 journal articles and book chapters, as well as the book Hope and Christian Ethics (Cambridge University Press, 2017).
This endowed chair for STRS was made possible through the generosity of Grace P. Hobelman, a longtime supporter and member of the school’s Board of Visitors. Grace established the chair in memory of her husband, Carl D. Hobelman. It is the fourth endowed chair for the STRS since 2019, and one of 16 newly endowed chairs established during Light the Way: The Campaign for Catholic University.
Sitting alongside STRS faculty, staff, and students, as well as family and friends of Dr. Elliot and the Palumbo-Hobelman family for the occasion, Grace offered a brief reflection on her motivation to establish the chair and her happiness to honor Dr. Elliot as the first holder of it.
President Peter Kilpatrick commented on the particular relevance of the chair for the STRS and its students: “Moral theology is the science of God in all things, based on divine revelation, and I cannot think of a more appropriate course of study for our students. Further, Dr. Elliot is an expert in the field of moral theology – specifically that of St. Thomas Aquinas, the patron saint of Catholic University.”
Dean Joseph Capizzi and Provost Aaron Dominguez presented the Grace P. Hobelman medal to Dr. Elliot, symbolizing the honor of the endowed position. After accepting the medal, Dr. Elliot offered his remarks of gratitude and expressed the importance of the chair for the University “to ensure that the great tradition of Catholic moral theology continues to be passed down here and to shape minds for generations to come.”
Dr. Elliot looks forward to continuing to educate future leaders, educators, and stewards of the Church and nation here at The Catholic University of America’s School of Theology and Religious Studies. For more information about Dr. Elliot and his research,visit his faculty profile page.