Page 29 - The Gonzaga Record 1986
P. 29
SOME OF THE EARLY LAY MASTERS
Signor Edmund Volpi
To the early generations of Gonzaga students Edmund was always known
as Signor Volpi. And they all seem to have very vivid recollections of him.
He was born in Rome, in Trastevere, and you can't be any more Roman
than that, a Roman of the Romans. He had a good voice and was a
member of the Sistine Choir as a boy. (His brother had an even better
voice and became famous as an operatic singer. Some would put him next
to Gigli.)
He went to boarding school in Paris to the De La Salle Brothers. Then
returned to Rome for University studies. He did a four year course and
took his degree in Italian Literature.
After his military service he was sent by the Italian Government to
Athens to the Italian Institute of Culture. He seems to have lost his heart
to Athens, and looks back on the ten years in Athens as possibly the
happiest years of his life. He was then sent to Ankara, Turkey to the
Italian Institute for two years. The next assignment was to the island of
Cos, famous for its association with the Hippocratic oath in medicine.
He spent two years in Cos.
He was then sent by the Italian Government to Dublin, and is one of
the founding members of the Italian Institute of Culture in Dublin. After
six years in Dublin the Italian Government conferred on him the knight-
hood of a Cavaliere for his work in cultural activity abroad.
His first contact with Gonzaga College was accidental. The Rector, Fr
Charles O'Conor SJ, was in charge of the process for the canonisation of
Fr John Sullivan SJ. He had collected the necessary information of Fr
John's life, reputation for holiness, and reports of cures. This was all
typed out in due form, but Rome, being Rome, also wanted the same
mass of information to be hand-written on vellum, in the best Italian
cursive script. Fr O'Connor was looking for some one who could do this
well, and was referred to a Signor Volpi as being the man he needed. It
was after some time working with Fr O'Conor on this material that Fr
O'Conor offered Signor Volpi a place on the teaching staff of Gonzaga
College. He came to the school in 1952. He taught French, Geography,
Art, and physical education. He was a full time teacher for twenty years
at Gonzaga. What one might overlook is the fact that in all that time he
also taught the evening and night classes in the Italian Institute. So for
twenty years his working day began at 8.0 am and finished at 10.30 pm
at night. In spite of this punishing schedule Signor Volpi continued to
look as if he had discovered somewhere the secret of eternal youth!
He had an unending series of tales about the adventures of his life. We
will end with one of his favourites. And he vouches for its veracity.
While he was doing his military service in Italy he was being detailed
for 'fatigue' duties, but being short of stature, instead of the usual heavier
27
Signor Edmund Volpi
To the early generations of Gonzaga students Edmund was always known
as Signor Volpi. And they all seem to have very vivid recollections of him.
He was born in Rome, in Trastevere, and you can't be any more Roman
than that, a Roman of the Romans. He had a good voice and was a
member of the Sistine Choir as a boy. (His brother had an even better
voice and became famous as an operatic singer. Some would put him next
to Gigli.)
He went to boarding school in Paris to the De La Salle Brothers. Then
returned to Rome for University studies. He did a four year course and
took his degree in Italian Literature.
After his military service he was sent by the Italian Government to
Athens to the Italian Institute of Culture. He seems to have lost his heart
to Athens, and looks back on the ten years in Athens as possibly the
happiest years of his life. He was then sent to Ankara, Turkey to the
Italian Institute for two years. The next assignment was to the island of
Cos, famous for its association with the Hippocratic oath in medicine.
He spent two years in Cos.
He was then sent by the Italian Government to Dublin, and is one of
the founding members of the Italian Institute of Culture in Dublin. After
six years in Dublin the Italian Government conferred on him the knight-
hood of a Cavaliere for his work in cultural activity abroad.
His first contact with Gonzaga College was accidental. The Rector, Fr
Charles O'Conor SJ, was in charge of the process for the canonisation of
Fr John Sullivan SJ. He had collected the necessary information of Fr
John's life, reputation for holiness, and reports of cures. This was all
typed out in due form, but Rome, being Rome, also wanted the same
mass of information to be hand-written on vellum, in the best Italian
cursive script. Fr O'Connor was looking for some one who could do this
well, and was referred to a Signor Volpi as being the man he needed. It
was after some time working with Fr O'Conor on this material that Fr
O'Conor offered Signor Volpi a place on the teaching staff of Gonzaga
College. He came to the school in 1952. He taught French, Geography,
Art, and physical education. He was a full time teacher for twenty years
at Gonzaga. What one might overlook is the fact that in all that time he
also taught the evening and night classes in the Italian Institute. So for
twenty years his working day began at 8.0 am and finished at 10.30 pm
at night. In spite of this punishing schedule Signor Volpi continued to
look as if he had discovered somewhere the secret of eternal youth!
He had an unending series of tales about the adventures of his life. We
will end with one of his favourites. And he vouches for its veracity.
While he was doing his military service in Italy he was being detailed
for 'fatigue' duties, but being short of stature, instead of the usual heavier
27
