Norbert Felix Gaughan
Bishop of Gary, Indiana

Norbert Felix Gaughan (May 30, 1921 – October 1, 1999) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Greensburg in Pennsylvania from 1975 to 1984 and as bishop of the Diocese of Gary in Indiana from 1984 to 1996.
Biography
Gaughan was born on May 30, 1921, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was ordained a priest on November 4, 1945, for the Diocese of Greensburg.
Auxiliary Bishop of Greensburg
On April 2, 1975, Gaughan was named titular bishop of Taraqua and auxiliary bishop of Greensburg by Pope Paul VI. He was consecrated at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, by Bishop William G. Connare; Bishop Cyril Vogel and Auxiliary Bishop John McDowell were the principal co-consecrators.
Bishop of Gary
On July 24, 1984, Pope St. John Paul II named Gaughan as the second bishop of Gary. In February 1992, Gaughan suffered a debilitating stroke. Because of his health situation, Pope John Paul II appointed Bishop Dale Melczek on August 19, 1992, as apostolic administrator sede plena of the diocese. On October 28, 1995, John Paul II named Melczek as coadjutor bishop of Gary to assist Gaughan.
The public source identifies “Norbert Felix Gaughan” as bishop of Gary, Indiana. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Norbert, Felix and Gaughan.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Norbert Felix Gaughan”, the useful work is to connect “bishop of Gary, Indiana” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 4, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7050314. VIAF identifies the subject as 31100410. The Library of Congress control number is n88230907. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1921, 1999, 1975 and 1984.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Norbert Felix Gaughan”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Norbert Felix Gaughan primary sources, Norbert Felix Gaughan archive and Norbert research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Norbert Felix Gaughan”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Norbert Felix Gaughan” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.