Edward Paul Doyle, O. P. papers (rppc_doyle)

Biographical note

Edward Paul Doyle, O.P. Ph.D., (1907-1997) was a Dominican Brother, who also served as a Chaplain with the U.S. Army's 104th Infantry Division during World War II.

Born June 30, 1907 in Fall River, Massachusetts, Doyle was one of nine children of Patrick J. and Anne (Harrison) Doyle. A graduate of B.M.C. Durfee High School in Fall River, he joined the Dominican Order in 1932 and was ordained in Somerset, Ohio in 1939. Upon receiving a Master's Degree from The Catholic University of America in 1941, Doyle came to Providence College to teach philosophy and theology. He received a Doctorate from the Aquinas Institute in River Forest, Illinois in 1962.

In 1943 Doyle was commissioned as a 1st Lieutenant and assigned to the 104th Infantry Division, also known as the Timberwolves. After months of training in the western United States, the division departed for Europe in August 1944 and spent the next nine months in continuous combat through France, Holland, Belgium, and Germany. By April 11, 1945, the division captured the town of Nordhausen, which they discovered was a sub-camp of the notorious death camp Buchenwald.

After the war, Doyle continued to teach at Providence College and then in 1954 began to assume various teaching positions with other institutions. In 1976, Doyle returned to Rhode Island to serve as the Chaplain at Summit Medical Center in Providence, RI., before becoming a member of the St. Thomas Aquinas Priory in 1987. Doyle remained with the Dominican community at Providence College until his death in 1997.

Father Doyle's achievements include positions as the first president of the Dominican Educational Association and director of the School of Catholic Studies at the University of Virginia Catholic Center. As national chaplain for the Timberwolves, he went to West Point each year to present the 104th Infantry Division's Terry Allen award to a graduating senior.

Chronology