Daniel D. O'Connor

1931 - 2025

Daniel D. O'Connor, Mark Hopkins Professor of Intellectual and Moral Philosophy, emeritus, died Saturday, May 24, at home in Williamstown. He was 94.

In his 37 years as a member of the Williams faculty, O'Connor taught courses on American pragmatism, continental philosophy, the history of ideas, aesthetics, and epistemology. With Nathaniel Lawrence, he co-edited Readings in Existential Phenomenology, and with Francis Oakley, Creation: The Impact of an Idea. He was also a contributor to the Encyclopedia of World Biography. He translated Josef Pieper, Philosophia Negativa, and Gottfried Martin, Allgemeine Metaphysik. His articles on topics ranging from the phenomenology of boredom to Kant's conception of happiness appeared in such publications as International Philosophical Quarterly, the Journal of the History of Ideas, and the Journal of Value Inquiry.

O'Connor grew up in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, the son of Alonzo J. and Ann Beaupré O'Connor. Finishing high school at 17, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving in Germany and rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant. With the GI Bill, he was able to attend the University of Detroit, where he met his wife, Mary, later a beloved teacher in Williamstown schools. He won a Fulbright scholarship to Muenster, Germany, in 1955, subsequently renewed, studying philosophy and voice. Offered a scholarship to the Medieval Institute at the University of Toronto, he chose philosophy as his profession, although he later continued his vocal studies by presenting Lieder recitals at the college. A McCormick Fellowship to Yale allowed him to complete his PhD at Yale University in 1961, and he came that year to Williams College.

During his tenure at Williams, O'Connor was actively engaged in the community, serving on and chairing many academic and policy committees. He served two long stints as Chair of his department, as Dean of the College, and as first director of the Williams-Exeter Programme at Oxford. These administrative jobs he found challenging and satisfying, but his heart always belonged in the classroom. O'Connor, with his calm yet demanding manner, is remembered by his students as a "role model: gentle, considerate, thoughtful, and spiritual." In approaching their scholarship earnestly and seriously, he "cultivated in his students something like a scholarly conscience, building confidence through careful criticism" and showing, by his own example, that "philosophy is, fundamentally, about how one should live."

In bestowing the honorary title at the time of his retirement in 1998, President Payne said, "Your work has spanned every aspect of the life of the college, a living example of the liberally educated, liberally educating member of this community."

After his retirement, O'Connor, always an outdoor enthusiast, continued to develop his extensive garden, went repeatedly to the Alps, the White Mountains, and the Berkshires for hiking, and acquired a passion for cross-country skiing and biking. He became an accomplished cook and learned to bake bread. With Mary, he traveled extensively and was delighted to lead three Alumni cruises on rivers in Europe. For his family and friends, O'Connor was ever the benevolent counselor and mentor, whose unflagging support encouraged each to pursue a life of meaning and fulfillment.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Mary; his brothers Michael (Judy) and Richard (Pat); children Colman (Rachel) and Anne; grandchildren Henry, Rosemary, Lola, and Avery.

A memorial service will be held at the Williams College Faculty Club on Saturday, August 23, 2025 from 1-3pm. The family welcomes memorial donations to the Berkshire Food Project, 134 Main St., North Adams, MA 01247. To add to the Book of Memories, please visit www.flynndagnolifuneralhomes.com