Willamette Institute for Continued Learning - Father Tom Oddo and the Era of the New American Catholics 10-6-26

"Portland author Tyler Bieber speaks on his new biography--Against the Current: Father Tom Oddo and the New American Catholic (Unencumbered Press, 2025)--and the legacy of Father Tom Oddo CSC (1944-1989), a gay, Holy Cross priest who co-founded the activist organization DignityUSA, and later served as a transformational President of the University of Portland. A retrospective of a remarkable life, a largely-untold chapter of gay history, and the roots of modern conversations in the Post-Francis church, with a focus on Tom's professional contemporaries and peers. Tyler Bieber is a queer higher education professional based in Portland, OR. He is currently the Assistant Registrar at Willamette University's Pacific Northwest College of Art. He holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts & Sciences from The Evergreen State College and an M.A. in Higher Education & Student Affairs from the University of Portland."