WORCESTER, Mass. – Edward T. O'Donnell, associate professor of history at the College of the Holy Cross, is an expert on the historical and cultural aspects of Christmas. He has studied, written and spoken about the evolution of Christmas as an American holiday for many years.
Among the aspects he covers:
* The Puritan ban on Christmas in the 17th century
* Clement Clarke Moore and his " 'Twas the Night ..." poem
* Thomas Nast and the development of the modern image of Santa Claus
* The introduction of the Christmas tree (by German immigrants)
* The story behind songs/TV specials like "Rudolph"
* The story behind "White Christmas"
He can also comment on the story of the famous "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" editorial that appeared in the New York Sun in 1897. In 2001, he published a story on this topic in The Irish Echo.
O'Donnell recently published Ship Ablaze: The Tragedy of the Steamboat General Slocum, a book detailing New York's deadliest day before Sept. 11, 2001. He earned his Ph.D. from Columbia University.
O'Donnell may be contacted by phone at 508.793.3730 (day), 508.826.1572 (evening) or by e-mail at eodonnel@holycross.edu.
Expert on Christmas at Holy Cross
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