Francis and Kathleen Rooney of Washington, D.C., and Naples, Florida, have made a $55 milion gift to the University of Notre Dame to endow an institute in the College of Arts & Letters committed to the preservation of American democracy through research, teaching and public engagement.

The Rooney Democracy Institute, formerly known as the Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy, aims to advance Notre Dame’s role as a national and global leader in democracy scholarship and as a convener of bipartisan conversations about the future of democracy.

 “Notre Dame’s long tradition of cultivating civil discourse and our ability to convene prominent voices across a range of perspectives have enabled us to lead important conversations about democracy for decades,” said University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. “Thanks to the extraordinary generosity and vision of Francis and Kathleen, generations of students and scholars will have the opportunity to engage with the political challenges and opportunities of their times in the context of both democratic principles and Catholic social teaching. We could not be more grateful to the Rooneys for advancing Notre Dame's mission and expanding our capacity to serve as an authoritative and influential voice in strengthening democracy in America."

Established in 2008 through a gift from the Francis and Kathleen Rooney Foundation, the Rooney Center has advanced impactful research on a range of topics, including representation and politics in legislatures, democratic participation, democratic inclusion, religion and American democracy and political psychology. It also partners closely with the Hesburgh Program in Public Service, the University’s public policy minor; and the Washington Program, which has supported more than 500 students in spending a semester studying and interning in Washington, D.C.

 The Rooneys’ gift provides permanent support for the institute’s signature programs, including the annual Keeping the Republic Conference and semi-annual Health of Democracy Survey, and expands and enhances its stable of research labs. It also ensures the sustainability of new programming launched through the support of Notre Dame’s Democracy Initiative, including the Democracy Talks events series, a cohort of postdoctoral scholars and the Democracy Fellows Program, which supports and inspires the next generation of public servants.

 Establishing Notre Dame as a leading institution for the study and preservation of democracy was a key priority outlined in “Notre Dame 2033: A Strategic Framework,” prompting the creation of the University’s Democracy Initiative, led by political scientist David Campbell, who served for six years as the Rooney Center’s founding director.

 “The Rooney Democracy Institute is a bold step forward in strengthening Notre Dame’s ability to influence the future of our democracy through rigorous research, education and bipartisan conversation on the questions that matter most,” said John T. McGreevy, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost. “As early and essential supporters of Notre Dame’s democracy-focused efforts, I am grateful to the Rooneys for their leadership as personal and professional exemplars of the kind of values-driven democracy defenders this institute will develop.”

 In future years, the Rooney Democracy Institute will build “dream teams” of senior and junior faculty, postdoctoral scholars and graduate students that will advance research on pressing issues related to democracy. The Rooneys’ gift will also support expansion of the institute’s staff to allow for further policy impact with lawmakers and engagement with the media and the public.

 "As a leading Catholic university, Notre Dame has a unique responsibility to address the social challenges of our time, including the health of our democracy,” said Matthew E.K. Hall, the institute’s director and the David A. Potenziani Memorial College Professor of Constitutional Studies. “By creating this new institute, we will strengthen our capacity to better understand American democracy, to share that understanding with the broader society and to instill that knowledge in the next generation of American citizens and leaders.”

 Francis Rooney served as a member of the U.S. House for two terms, representing Florida’s 19th District from 2017-21. He served as U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, appointed by President George W. Bush, from 2005-08. He was previously the chief executive officer of Rooney Holdings Inc., an investment and holding company based in Naples, Fla. He also served as the chairman of Manhattan Construction Company, whose projects include the construction of AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas; NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas; and the Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. The company also built the Capitol Visitor Center addition to the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.; the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum in College Station, Texas; and the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas.

 Kathleen Rooney has served on numerous museum, philanthropic and community boards in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Naples, Florida. The Rooneys have been active in Catholic, political and civic circles at the state and national levels. Other affiliations with Catholic organizations include the St. Francis Health System in Tulsa; Cascia Hall Preparatory School, an Augustinian middle and high school in Tulsa; and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Their other charitable giving includes the Naples Comprehensive Health (NCH) Rooney Heart Institute and Georgetown University's Dahlgren Chapel. They are also both trustees emeriti of the Naples Children Foundation, which serves the at-risk and disadvantaged children of Collier County.

 Their past support for Notre Dame includes endowing the Rooney Center and the chair of the dean of the School of Architecture.

 The Rooneys have three children, all Notre Dame alumni — Larry ’04 (Porscha Radcliffe Rooney ’04), Michael ’06 J.D. ’09 (Frances Dayton) and Kathleen ’09.

 “Notre Dame is the gold standard for trust in higher education, and that perspective is needed nowhere more right now than in American politics,” Francis Rooney said. “Ever since Kathleen and I set foot on this campus many years ago, we felt that Notre Dame was blessed — and we are filled with hope for the way Notre Dame can be a blessing to our nation in the years ahead.”

Contact: Tracy DeStazio, Associate Director of Media Relations, tdestazi@nd.edu, 269-769-8804

Originally published by Josh Weinhold at news.nd.edu on October 06, 2025.