Early Life and Education
The fourth of ten children, John O'Hara was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to John and Ella (née Thornton) O'Hara. His father was a leader of the Irish Catholic community, published a small newspaper and was active in Republican circles. He and his family moved to Bunker Hill, Indiana, two months after his birth, and later to Peru, Indiana, in 1889. He was attending Peru High School when, in 1905, his father was named by President Theodore Roosevelt as the U.S. consul to Uruguay. The family then moved to the South American country, where young John studied at the Catholic University of Uruguay in Montevideo and served as private secretary to Edward C. O'Brien, the U.S. Minister.
In 1906, he moved to Argentina and spent six months on a cattle ranchReturning to Uruguay, he conducted market surveys for the U.S. State Department. He furthered his studies, and then accompanied his father after the latter was transferred to Brazil.
Upon his return to the United States in 1908, O'Hara entered the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, where he also taught Spanish to defray the costs of tuition and board. In 1910, he became a founding officer of Notre Dame Knights of Columbus Council 1477, the first KofC College Council. After earning a Bachelor's degree and graduating in 1911, he entered the Congregation of Holy Cross on August 8, 1912. He also studied theology at Holy Cross College, South American history under Peter Guilday at the Catholic University of America, and at the Wharton School of Commerce of the University of Pennsylvania. He made his profession as a member of the Congregation of Holy Cross on September 14, 1914.
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