The Spire

Owen Whaley ‘24

Chief News Editor

Professor Thomas Doughton, Senior Lecturer in the Center for Interdisciplinary and Special Studies, passed away at his home in Worcester on Saturday, Feb. 3.

“Please join us in extending our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and loved ones, his current and former students and his many colleagues at Holy Cross and within the Worcester community,” shared President Vincent D. Rougeau, Provost Elliott Visconsi, Senior Vice President for Student Development and Mission Michele Murray, and Chaplains Office Director Marybeth Kearns-Barrett in a joint statement. “As we learn plans for memorial services we will share them.”

In his twenty years as a Holy Cross instructor, Doughton taught courses in diverse subjects including Africana Studies, Native American studies, and comparative genocide. Additionally, Doughton regularly led students on a 6-week summer trip through Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany, teaching a course while abroad on collective memory of the Holocaust in Central Europe.

Doughton is remembered as a giant in his field who made significant contributions to the historical community within and beyond Worcester. Most recently, Doughton played a pivotal role in establishing the Worcester Black History Trail, erecting landmarks to black history across the city. “While Doughton attempted to deflect any recognition at the debut of Worcester’s new Black History Trail,” read a Holy Cross Magazine profile of Doughton in 2022, “he is credited as one of the sparks that led to its creation.”

Through his efforts, Doughton aimed to highlight the experiences of those often overlooked by the historical record. “This project came about because the community, as some of us perceived it, felt they needed to be responsible for its own history in a dynamically engaged representation of the experience of people of color in Worcester,” he said. “The rethinking of African American history in New England, at the moment, has a lot to do with making members of the dominant culture feel comfortable about the past. That comfort is inappropriate in many ways.”

Holy Cross actively partnered with Doughton to establish the trail. “We look forward to finding ways to promote the trail to all members of our campus community,” remarked President Rougeau after the launch, “and to further integrate the trail’s historical and cultural significance into the academic life of the College. We are grateful to have been a part of this extraordinary project.”

Students in grief are encouraged to seek support from the Chaplains’ Office or Counseling and Psychological Services. Faculty and staff are eligible for no-cost counseling through the Employee Assistance Program.

Copy Edited by Sophia Mariani