-Caveat Lector-
(Conservatives seem to have fared better politically in the '50s, when
they were allied with the Catholic Church, than they are nowadays, after
having allied themselves with "born-again Capitalism" TV evangelists and
other questionably "moral" Protestants.)
Pizza Magnate Turning to God's Law
By JUSTIN HYDE
.c The Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) -- Domino's Pizza founder Thomas S. Monaghan spent nearly four
decades making a lot of dough. Then he gave it up to work for someone else:
God.
Now, after several years of Roman Catholic philanthropy and support of
conservative causes, he is spending $50 million to establish a law school
that he says will combine legal advocacy and Catholic morality.
``This is one of the most exciting things I've been involved in in my life,''
said Monaghan, 61. ``Certainly, one of the most important. Certainly, a lot
more important than selling pizzas, except, of course, that pizza made
something like this possible.''
Monaghan's planned Ave Maria School of Law has already attracted some legal
stars.
One-time Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork signed on as its first faculty
member. Rep. Henry Hyde is a member of the board of governors, as is Cardinal
John O'Connor, archbishop of New York. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
has offered advice.
The school plans to open in 2000 with about 40 students and seven or eight
teachers. It will rent space in or around Ann Arbor, where Monaghan lives and
Domino's is based.
The law school is part of Monaghan's larger effort to promote Catholic
education. His foundation runs two elementary schools and two preschools,
with another elementary school under construction. He is also building the
Ave Maria College, a private liberal arts school.
``I've been very disappointed in general with Catholic education in the
United States, particularly how it teaches the faith,'' said Monaghan, who
went to 10 high schools and five colleges and never made it past his freshman
year. ``I'm afraid that much of it has become secularized.''
He also cites other reasons for promoting religious education: ``The lack of
God in our society, the breakup of families, the low legitimacy rate,
abortion -- the list goes on.''
There are already 24 Catholic law schools among the 181 law schools in the
country -- and no shortage of lawyers, according to Ave Maria dean Bernard
Dobranski. Even so, Dobranski said there is a need for high-quality lawyers
with high morals.
``The rule of law, we believe, must be grounded in the belief that there is
an objective moral order, and that will be our mission,'' he said.
Some critics, such as the Rev. Robert Drinan, a law professor at Georgetown
University, say existing Catholic law schools do a good job of mixing the
legal with the spiritual. He said Georgetown was doing it ``before Mr.
Monaghan was born.''
``We have three full-time Jesuit lawyers. We say Mass at noon. What more can
we do to make it Catholic?'' Drinan said.
Drinan said Monaghan's real aims appear to be political.
``The first professor hired is Robert Bork, and he's not known for any
religious faith. They want his political views,'' he said, describing those
views as ``right-wing, anti-abortion -- the views of Mr. Monaghan.''
Robert Sedler, a law professor at Wayne State University known for promoting
liberal causes, said he would have no problem with Ave Maria having a
political agenda.
``What's wrong with that? Lawyers like myself advocate civil rights, antiwar,
equality. Lawyers do this -- they practice to advocate their causes,'' he
said. ``I have the greatest respect for Mr. Monaghan. He made his fortune and
he's using his fortune to advance causes he believes in.''
Monaghan's fortune did not come easy. An orphan at 4, he spent his childhood
in foster homes and orphanages, served three years in the Marines and then
enrolled at the University of Michigan, hoping to pursue a degree in
architecture.
To help pay for school, he and his brother, James, borrowed $900 and bought a
restaurant named DomiNick's. James Monaghan later traded his share of the
business to his brother for a used Volkswagen Beetle. Thomas Monaghan added
stores and renamed the company Domino's in 1965.
As Domino's Pizza grew, so did Monaghan's flair for spending his profits. He
bought the Detroit Tigers in 1983, set a record for used cars by paying $8
million for a 1931 Bugatti and spent $1.6 million on a dining room table and
chairs designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
But starting in 1989, Monaghan took two years off from Domino's to explore
his religious goals. He became an outspoken opponent of abortion, which
resulted in a nationwide boycott of Domino's by the National Organization for
Women. Finally, last year, he sold nearly all of the company.
``God's been very good to me,'' Monaghan said. ``This is something I wanted
to do for some time -- to get out of the pizza business and get on with
things that are more important. I call this the main event.''
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