Frank J. Coppa

Frank John Coppa (July 18, 1937 – January 13, 2021) was an American historian, author, and educator who wrote widely on the Papacy in history as well as on Italian historical topics.

St. John's announced his death in January 2021, as well as "The Frank J. Coppa Endowed Scholarship in History.

Many of his early publications dealt with topics pertaining to both Catholic and Italian history, such as Giolitti, Mazzini, Antonelli, Cavour, Garibaldi, and Columbus.

Several of his early edited collections contain contributions by St. John's colleagues, including William D. Griffin, Eugene Kusielewicz, and Richard P. Harmond.

His book Religion in the Making of Western Man (1974) is dedicated to his senior history department colleagues, Walter L. Willigan, Arpad F. Kovacs, and Borisz de Balla, "for many years of distinguished and loyal service to St. John’s University, New York.