Fifty Years In Public Causes: Stories From A Road Less Traveled

by Brian O'Connell

In this extraordinary memoir, Brian O'Connell traces a lifetime of encouraging citizen participation and influence beginning at the local level and extending to national and international crusades. O'Connell worked with the American Heart Association in its earliest efforts to reduce death and disability from heart attack and stroke, spent twelve years as national head of the Mental Health Association during major breakthroughs in the understanding and treatment of depression, and was on the ground floor of the founding of World Alliance for Civic Participation. In 1980 he and John Gardner launched Independent Sector, where O'Connell served for 15 years as president and CEO of a vast coalition devoted to strengthening voluntary initiative, philanthropy and civic action.

A prolific author, beloved teacher and activist, Brian O'Connell imparts to readers the priceless lessons he gleaned during a lifetime of third-sector experience. These gird his essential and heartfelt mandate to his "successors" in public Take pride in America's legacy of voluntary participation and generosity, fortify the volunteer sector, preserve the independence of non-profit organizations, redress the lack of citizen participation in American democracy and, above all, pass these values on to future generations in America and around the globe. Brian O'Connell's reflections celebrate voluntary action and provide practical advice on ensuring its growth and impact in the years ahead.

228 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Brian O’Connell is a former chairman of Shannon Heritage, the State company which operates a network of cultural tourism venues, such as Bunratty Castle, in Counties Limerick and Clare. In that role, and as a member of the Hunt Museums Trust, he had the opportunity to observe the economic and cultural legacy that John Hunt left to the region. He has spent years travelling world-wide researching the life of Hunt and his impact internationally on the art world.


He initiated the publication in 2004 of an oral archive on regional development pioneer, Brendan O’Regan. He is the co-author of ‘In Bello Fortis’, a biography of Tipperary man General Sir William Parker Carrol, published in Spanish by Fundacion Gustavo Bueno, Oviedo, May 2009.