By Roya Ghorbani-Elizeh
After losing the vice presidency bid and resigning as the Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin has managed to keep her name in the headlines and the people of UP talking. Her recently published book, Going Rogue, mentions a previously unknown fact. Palin's grandfather, Clement J. "Clem" Sheeran, attended school here on The Bluff from 1925 to 1927.
Known as Columbia University at the time, Sheeran, Palin's maternal grandfather, played center on the school's football team. The Rev. Bob Antonelli, C.S.C., archives director, received an e-mail from a faculty member about the mention in Palin's book. Antonelli then looked online to find more information about Palin's family history.
"First, I had to find out which grandfather attended here," Antonelli said. "The information wasn't all in one place, but within a hour I had it all put together."
Antonelli discovered a web site that details Palin's family history. There, he discovered her maiden name, (Heath), and her mother's maiden name, (Sheeran). Antonelli then went through a list of students who attended the school from 1901-1950 and found football player and student "Clem" Sheeran.
"This is the first time we found someone somewhat famous," Antonelli said. "We would have never found out without her writing the book."
The player bio describes Clem as someone who is always "walking on the campus taking a stroll all by himself, in his room blowing on a saxophone or in the classroom, and at all time he is as quiet as a mouse" and that he "held down the center position without error."
The campus of Columbia University in 1927 looked vastly different from the campus students know today.
Merlo Field and Prusynski Pitch now cover the football field that Sheeran and teammates played on during 1925-1927.
Columbia University would turn into the University of Portland in April of 1935 while the last season of football to be played on the Bluff was the 1949-1950 season.
Columbia University offered an associate's degree during Sheeran's time at the two-year school. Both Antonelli and the Registrar's office were unable to tell if Sheeran ever graduated.
With Palin's small hint on page 11 of her book, Going Rogue, Antonelli was able to make a connection between the former vice presidential hopeful and the students of the University of Portland.
Palin's grandfather, "Clem" Sheeran, a University attendee who narrowly missed a connection in the White House.
