Dan Shannon, former Notre Dame Football All-American, team captain and president of the Monogram Club, passed away this week.
Shannon played for the Irish from 1951-54. Over four years, the Irish accumulated a 32-5-3 record. Shannon tied for eighth in program history in recovered fumbles (season), with four in 1951, and he served as a team captain in 1954, the season in which he was named a Sporting News All-American linebacker. Shannon played under both Frank Leahy and Terry Brennan.
Shannon’s son, Gerard, and grandson, John, followed in Dan’s footsteps and suited up for the Irish football squad. Gerard was a cornerback in the 1980s, while John graduated in 2020 after winning the Patrick Mannelly Award, recognizing the nation’s top long-snapper, in 2019.
During his tenure in Monogram Club leadership, including his time as president from 1995-97, Shannon aided efforts to further participate in awards for student-athletes, as well as make changes to Heritage Hall, located on the second floor of the Joyce Center and home to hundreds of photos, trophies and other pieces of memorabilia dating back to the beginning of Notre Dame athletics. It also houses the Ring of Names, which features the name of every individual who has earned a monogram at Notre Dame.
Also during his leadership tenure, the first women joined the Monogram Club Board as part of a concerted effort to represent the student-athlete population.
Shannon was born August 15, 1933 in Chicago to Peter and Marion Shannon. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Kathryn “Kitty” Shannon; children, Maureen (Scott) Forster, Colleen (Glen) Svenningsen, Mary Ellen (Scott) Moncrieff and Gerard (Lisa) Shannon; grandchildren, Kelly, Glen, Amy, Daniel, Kara, Carly, Erin, Scotty, AnneMarie and John; and sister, Donna (late John) Mulchrone. His family will celebrate his life Friday, July 10 in the Chicago area.