Thomas Welder Explained

Thomas Welder
Birth Name:Diane Marie Welder
Birth Date:April 27, 1940
Death Date:June 22, 2020 (aged 80)
Birth Place:Linton, North Dakota, U.S.
Alma Mater:College of St. Scholastica (BA)
Northwestern University (MMus)
Office:President of the University of Mary
Termstart:1978
Termend:2009
Death Place:Bismarck, North Dakota, U.S.

Sister Thomas Welder, OSB (born Diane Marie Welder;[1] April 27, 1940June 22, 2020) was an American educator, academic administrator, and Benedictine nun. Born and raised in North Dakota, she entered Annunciation Monastery in 1959, at age 19. She began working at the Benedictine-sponsored Mary College in 1963 and served as its president from 1978 to 2009. Under Welder, the college expanded to become the University of Mary. She received North Dakota's highest honor, the Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award, in 2004.

Early life and education

Diane Marie Welder was born on April 27, 1940, in Linton, North Dakota, to Mary Ann (née Kuhn) and Sebastian Welder.[2] [3] Her father died of a kidney condition in 1951; her mother became a Benedictine sister in 1968, after raising Welder and her siblings.[3] [1] Four of Welder's maternal aunts also joined religious orders.[1] Welder attended Cathedral Elementary School and St. Mary's Central High School, Bismarck, North Dakota, graduating in 1958. She studied at the College of St. Benedict in Minnesota, where she discerned her vocation to religious life.[2]

Welder returned to Bismarck to enter the community of Benedictine nuns at Annunciation Monastery.[2] [4] The Benedictines founded Mary College in 1959; Welder was a member of their first freshman class.[1] [5] She was given the religious name "Sister Thomas" when she entered the novitiate.[6] She made a religious profession in 1961 and a perpetual monastic profession in 1964.[6] [7] She completed a bachelor's degree at the College of St. Scholastica in 1963[2] and received a master's degree in music from Northwestern University in 1968.[2] [8]

Career

Welder began working for Mary College in 1963. She taught music and chaired the humanities department.[9] In 1978 she was named the school's fifth president.[10] The college attained university status in 1986, becoming the University of Mary,[8] and the enrollment increased from 925 students to nearly 3,000.[11] As president, Welder was known for her ability to remember names and faces.[12] [13] She emphasized teaching servant leadership and Benedictine values.[9] In 2004, she was granted the Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award, the highest honor of the state of North Dakota.[10] [8] Her portrait is displayed in the North Dakota State Capitol.[14] In 2009, she retired and was named President Emerita.[9] [15]

Death

Welder had polycystic kidney disease; she received two transplants, in 2001 and in 2011.[16] [17] She died in Bismarck, North Dakota, on June 22, 2020,[18] after having been diagnosed with kidney cancer.[13] The state governor, Doug Burgum, and the senator John Hoeven expressed their condolences.[19] Hoeven and Senator Kevin Cramer memorialized her in floor speeches to the United States Senate on June 24.[20] Monsignor James P. Shea, President of the University of Mary, celebrated Welder's funeral Mass on June 29, and her body was buried in the monastery cemetery.[21]

Awards and honors

Notes and References

  1. News: Sisters Mary Ann and Thomas are Fellow Benedictines in Bismarck but They're Much Closer Than That. . Swift. Tammy. . September 21, 1997. 1B. Germans from Russia Heritage Collection.
  2. News: University of Mary holds 50th commencement . September 18, 2019 . Jamestown Sun . May 12, 2010 . en.
  3. News: Mary Ann Welder . September 18, 2019 . . February 24, 2009.
  4. News: Univ. of Mary president says retirement comes at right time . June 23, 2020 . Jamestown Sun . Associated Press . May 14, 2008 . en.
  5. News: Welder puts U-Mary on the map . September 18, 2019 . Grand Forks Herald . en.
  6. Web site: Obituary for Sister Thomas Welder at Eastgate Funeral & Cremation Service . www.eastgatefuneral.com . June 23, 2020 . en.
  7. News: Religion digest 6-4: Five Sisters celebrate 50 year jubilees . September 18, 2019 . . June 3, 2011.
  8. Web site: Sister Thomas Welder . North Dakota Office of the Governor . September 18, 2019 . en.
  9. News: Herzog . Karen . Sister Thomas leaves a growing legacy . September 18, 2019 . . April 17, 2009.
  10. News: Sister Thomas Welder to retire . September 18, 2019 . . . May 6, 2008 . en.
  11. Current and former University of Mary presidents earn highest honor. Chamber Connection. Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce. July 2015. 23.
  12. News: Kalberer . Lauren . Women's History Month – Sister Thomas Welder . September 18, 2019 . KX NEWS . March 12, 2019.
  13. News: Suleiman . Bilal . Former longtime University of Mary President Sister Thomas Welder dies; remembered for leadership, kindness . June 23, 2020 . . June 22, 2020 . en.
  14. News: June 22, 2020. Sister Thomas Welder passes away. www.kfyrtv.com. June 22, 2020.
  15. Web site: About Sister Thomas . University of Mary . September 18, 2019.
  16. News: Herzog . Karen . Situation 'a real call to trust' . June 25, 2020 . . July 2, 2005 . 13.
  17. News: Eckroth . Leann . Sister Thomas Welder gets kidney transplant . September 18, 2019 . . April 4, 2011.
  18. Web site: Iconic Servant Leader, Educator and University President Emerita, Sister Thomas Welder has Died . News Room - University of Mary . 25 June 2020 . 22 June 2020.
  19. News: Sweeney . Pat . Longtime U-Mary president dies . June 23, 2020 . KNOX Radio . June 22, 2020 . en.
  20. News: . Late Sister Thomas Welder honored in Congress . June 25, 2020 . . June 24, 2020 . en.
  21. News: Suleiman . Bilal . Sister Thomas Welder remembered as 'a true servant leader' during funeral at University of Mary . The Bismarck Tribune . 29 June 2020 . https://archive.today/20230506044002/https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/bismarck/sister-thomas-welder-remembered-as-a-true-servant-leader-during-funeral-at-university-of-mary/article_9c3298b3-e24b-5776-bc5f-d89d5ad2d865.html . 6 May 2023 . en.
  22. Web site: SAHF Inductees: Sister Thomas Welder . . September 18, 2019 . en.
  23. Web site: Honorary Doctorates .
  24. Web site: Sr. Thomas Welder to earn prestigious award . Diocese of Bismarck. September 19, 2013. September 18, 2019.
  25. Web site: Sr. Thomas Welder receives Honorary Doctorate from St. Anselm College .