Rev. Ernest L. Fortin, A.A., Collection

The d'Alzon Library received the personal library of Ernest L. Fortin, A.A. in the fall of 1999. Fr. Fortin was born on December 17, 1923 and died on October 22, 2002. He graduated from Assumption College, now University, in 1946 and joined the Augustinians of the Assumption in 1944.

Fr. Fortin received his theological education at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (more commonly known as the Angelicum in Rome) and received his licentiate in 1950. He received his doctorate from the Sorbonne in 1955. Fr. Fortin taught at Assumption University in the 1950’s and 1960’s. He left Assumption in 1971 to teach at Boston College, where he founded the Perspectives Program. Fr. Fortin suffered a stroke in 1997 and retired from active teaching.  

Fr. Fortin was an authority in the area of political philosophy and classical Christianity and lectured widely in Europe and America. His publications include several books, edited volumes on medieval philosophy and St. Augustine, as well as many articles and reviews that in 1996 were published in three volumes as Ernest Fortin: Collected Essays, edited by Prof. Brian Benestad.

Fr. Fortin’s library collection of almost 2,500 volumes reflects his scholarship and literary interests. It includes significant holdings by and related to Machiavelli, Dante, and St. Augustine, as well as many volumes on contemporary political and religious thought. The books are shelved throughout the d’Alzon Library.

In order to locate Fr. Fortin’s books in our Library, enter "Ernest L. Fortin, A.A. Collection", maintaining the quotation marks, in the main search box of the Library website.

Many of Fr. Fortin's books contained his annotations and/or notes. In order to locate books that contain Fr. Fortin's annotations, search for Contains Fr. Fortin's annotations. In order to locate the books that contained his notes, search for Includes Fortin's notes, shelved separately. These notes are part of Fr. Fortin's papers and manuscript collection. If you would like to view them, please contact the library at library@assumption.edu. 

Preliminary finding aids are available for the rest of Fr. Fortin's papers.