Thomas Welder

Sister Thomas Welder, OSB (born Diane Marie Welder; April 27, 1940 – June 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 Welder's St. Mary's Central High School photo (1958).Diane Marie Welder was born on April 27, 1940, in Linton, North Dakota, to Mary Ann (née Kuhn) and Sebastian Welder. Her father died of a kidney condition in 1951; her mother became a Benedictine sister in 1968, after raising Welder and her siblings. The Benedictines founded Mary College in 1959; Welder was a member of their first freshman class. She was given the religious name "Sister Thomas" when she entered the novitiate. She made a religious profession in 1961 and a perpetual monastic profession in 1964. She completed a bachelor's degree at the College of St. Scholastica in 1963

Career Welder on her first day as president of the University of Mary in 1978.Welder began working for Mary College in 1963. In 1978 she was named the school's fifth president. The college attained university status in 1986, becoming the University of Mary, As president, Welder was known for her ability to remember names and faces. She emphasized teaching servant leadership and Benedictine values. In 2009, she retired and was named President Emerita.

Death Welder had polycystic kidney disease; she received two transplants, in 2001 and in 2011. She died in Bismarck, North Dakota, on June 22, 2020, after having been diagnosed with kidney cancer. Hoeven and Senator Kevin Cramer memorialized her in floor speeches to the United States Senate on June 24. 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.

Awards and honors Welder receives the Rough Rider Award from then-Governor John and First Lady Mikey Hoeven (2004). Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award from the State of North Dakota – 2004 Doctor of the University, honoris causa, from the University of Mary – 2010 Caritas Award from Catholic Charities – 2013 Honorary doctorate from Belmont Abbey College – 2015