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| name = Thomas Welder
| name = Thomas Welder
| birth_name = Diane Marie Welder
| birth_name = Diane Marie Welder
| image = Sister Thomas Overlooking Missouri River.jpg
| image = Sister Thomas Overlooking Missouri River (cropped).jpg
| image_size = 400px
| image_size =
| birth_date = April 27, 1940
| birth_date = April 27, 1940
| death_date = June 22, 2020 (aged 80)
| death_date = June 22, 2020 (aged 80)
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==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
[[File:Young Sister Thomas Welder.jpg|200px|thumb|left|A young Diane Welder (later Sister Thomas Welder) pictured in her 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.<ref name="Jamestown Sun">{{cite news |title=University of Mary holds 50th commencement |url=https://www.jamestownsun.com/news/1759816-university-mary-holds-50th-commencement |accessdate=September 18, 2019 |work=Jamestown Sun |date=May 12, 2010 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Mother obituary">{{cite news |title=Mary Ann Welder |url=https://bismarcktribune.com/lifestyles/announcements/obituaries/mary-ann-welder/article_59f183f9-b0bb-5563-b3c9-4db3a7a3e85d.html |accessdate=September 18, 2019 |work=[[The Bismarck Tribune]] |date=February 24, 2009}}</ref> Her father died of a kidney condition in 1951; her mother became a Benedictine sister in 1968, after raising Welder and her siblings.<ref name="Mother obituary"/><ref name="Swift 1997"/> Four of Welder's maternal aunts also joined religious orders.<ref name="Swift 1997"/> Welder attended Cathedral Elementary School and [[St. Mary's Central High School|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.<ref name="Jamestown Sun"/>
[[File:Young Sister Thomas Welder.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|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.<ref name="Jamestown Sun">{{cite news |title=University of Mary holds 50th commencement |url=https://www.jamestownsun.com/news/1759816-university-mary-holds-50th-commencement |access-date=September 18, 2019 |work=Jamestown Sun |date=May 12, 2010 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Mother obituary">{{cite news |title=Mary Ann Welder |url=https://bismarcktribune.com/lifestyles/announcements/obituaries/mary-ann-welder/article_59f183f9-b0bb-5563-b3c9-4db3a7a3e85d.html |access-date=September 18, 2019 |work=[[The Bismarck Tribune]] |date=February 24, 2009}}</ref> Her father died of a kidney condition in 1951; her mother became a Benedictine sister in 1968, after raising Welder and her siblings.<ref name="Mother obituary"/><ref name="Swift 1997"/> Four of Welder's maternal aunts also joined religious orders.<ref name="Swift 1997"/> Welder attended Cathedral Elementary School and [[St. Mary's Central High School|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.<ref name="Jamestown Sun"/>


Welder returned to Bismarck to enter the community of [[Benedictine]] nuns at [[Annunciation Monastery (University of Mary)|Annunciation Monastery]].<ref name="Jamestown Sun"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Univ. of Mary president says retirement comes at right time |url=https://www.jamestownsun.com/news/1718460-univ-mary-president-says-retirement-comes-right-time |accessdate=June 23, 2020 |work=Jamestown Sun |agency=Associated Press |date=May 14, 2008 |language=en}}</ref> The Benedictines founded Mary College in 1959; Welder was a member of their first freshman class.<ref name="Swift 1997"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Welder puts U-Mary on the map |url=https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/2073906-their-opinion-welder-puts-u-mary-map |accessdate=September 18, 2019 |work=Grand Forks Herald |language=en}}</ref> She was given the [[religious name]] "Sister Thomas" when she entered the [[novitiate]].<ref name="Obituary">{{cite web |title=Obituary for Sister Thomas Welder at Eastgate Funeral & Cremation Service |url=https://www.eastgatefuneral.com/obituary/sister-thomas-welder |website=www.eastgatefuneral.com |accessdate=June 23, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> She made a [[religious profession]] in 1961 and a perpetual monastic profession in 1964.<ref name="Obituary"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Religion digest 6-4: Five Sisters celebrate 50 year jubilees |url=https://bismarcktribune.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/religion/religion-digest/article_553403f8-8d47-11e0-b1c8-001cc4c03286.html |accessdate=September 18, 2019 |work=[[The Bismarck Tribune]] |date=June 3, 2011}}</ref> She completed a bachelor's degree at the [[College of St. Scholastica]] in 1963<ref name="Jamestown Sun"/> and received a master's degree in music from [[Northwestern University]] in 1968.<ref name="Jamestown Sun"/><ref name="ND Governor">{{cite web |title=Sister Thomas Welder |url=https://www.governor.nd.gov/theodore-roosevelt-rough-rider-award/sister-thomas-welder |website=North Dakota Office of the Governor |accessdate=September 18, 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
Welder returned to Bismarck to enter the community of [[Benedictine]] nuns at [[Annunciation Monastery (University of Mary)|Annunciation Monastery]].<ref name="Jamestown Sun"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Univ. of Mary president says retirement comes at right time |url=https://www.jamestownsun.com/news/1718460-univ-mary-president-says-retirement-comes-right-time |access-date=June 23, 2020 |work=Jamestown Sun |agency=Associated Press |date=May 14, 2008 |language=en}}</ref> The Benedictines founded Mary College in 1959; Welder was a member of their first freshman class.<ref name="Swift 1997"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Welder puts U-Mary on the map |url=https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/2073906-their-opinion-welder-puts-u-mary-map |access-date=September 18, 2019 |work=Grand Forks Herald |language=en}}</ref> She was given the [[religious name]] "Sister Thomas" when she entered the [[novitiate]].<ref name="Obituary">{{cite web |title=Obituary for Sister Thomas Welder at Eastgate Funeral & Cremation Service |url=https://www.eastgatefuneral.com/obituary/sister-thomas-welder |website=www.eastgatefuneral.com |access-date=June 23, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> She made a [[religious profession]] in 1961 and a perpetual monastic profession in 1964.<ref name="Obituary"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Religion digest 6-4: Five Sisters celebrate 50 year jubilees |url=https://bismarcktribune.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/religion/religion-digest/article_553403f8-8d47-11e0-b1c8-001cc4c03286.html |access-date=September 18, 2019 |work=[[The Bismarck Tribune]] |date=June 3, 2011}}</ref> She completed a bachelor's degree at the [[College of St. Scholastica]] in 1963<ref name="Jamestown Sun"/> and received a master's degree in music from [[Northwestern University]] in 1968.<ref name="Jamestown Sun"/><ref name="ND Governor">{{cite web |title=Sister Thomas Welder |url=https://www.governor.nd.gov/theodore-roosevelt-rough-rider-award/sister-thomas-welder |website=North Dakota Office of the Governor |access-date=September 18, 2019 |language=en}}</ref>


==Career==
==Career==
[[File:Sister Thomas on her first day as president 1978.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Sister Thomas Welder, on her first day as president of the University of Mary in 1978.]]Welder began working for Mary College in 1963.<ref name="retirement"/> She taught music and chaired the humanities department.<ref name="Herzog 2009">{{cite news |last1=Herzog |first1=Karen |title=Sister Thomas leaves a growing legacy |url=https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/sister-thomas-leaves-a-growing-legacy/article_d48459f4-d7ca-5e1e-a166-f511d1868346.html |accessdate=September 18, 2019 |work=[[The Bismarck Tribune]] |date=April 17, 2009}}</ref> In 1978 she was named the school's fifth president.<ref name="retirement">{{cite news |title=Sister Thomas Welder to retire |url=https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/sister-thomas-welder-to-retire/article_77fe7cdb-8ae4-5e5c-8283-eb06b524506b.html |accessdate=September 18, 2019 |work=[[The Bismarck Tribune]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=May 6, 2008 |language=en}}</ref> The college attained university status in 1986, becoming the [[University of Mary]],<ref name="ND Governor"/> and the enrollment increased from 925 students to nearly 3,000.<ref name="chamber connection">{{cite magazine|title=Current and former University of Mary presidents earn highest honor|magazine=Chamber Connection|publisher=Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce|date=July 2015|page=23|url=https://issuu.com/bismarckmandanchamberconnection/docs/07chamberconnection}}</ref> As president, Welder was known for her ability to remember names and faces.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kalberer |first1=Lauren |title=Women’s History Month – Sister Thomas Welder |url=https://www.kxnet.com/news/womens-history-month-sister-thomas-welder/ |accessdate=September 18, 2019 |work=KX NEWS |date=March 12, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Suleiman 2020">{{cite news |last1=Suleiman |first1=Bilal |title=Former longtime University of Mary President Sister Thomas Welder dies; remembered for leadership, kindness |url=https://bismarcktribune.com/business/former-longtime-university-of-mary-president-sister-thomas-welder-dies-remembered-for-leadership-kindness/article_3f6517db-22ae-5d02-a2d1-e229e8aee1b8.html |accessdate=June 23, 2020 |work=[[The Bismarck Tribune]] |date=June 22, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> She emphasized teaching [[servant leadership]] and Benedictine values.<ref name="Herzog 2009"/> In 2004, she was granted the [[Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award]], the highest honor of the state of North Dakota.<ref name="retirement"/><ref name="ND Governor"/> Her portrait is displayed in the [[North Dakota State Capitol]].<ref name="kfyrtv">{{cite news|date=June 22, 2020|title=Sister Thomas Welder passes away|work=www.kfyrtv.com|url=https://www.kfyrtv.com/content/news/Sister-Thomas-Welder-passes-away-571421371.html|accessdate=June 22, 2020}}</ref> In 2009, she retired and was named President Emerita.<ref name="Herzog 2009"/><ref name="university profile">{{cite web |title=About Sister Thomas |url=https://www.umary.edu/academics/library/sister-thomas-welder.php |website=University of Mary |accessdate=September 18, 2019}}</ref>
[[File:Sister Thomas on her first day as president 1978.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Welder on her first day as president of the University of Mary in 1978.]]Welder began working for Mary College in 1963.<ref name="retirement"/> She taught music and chaired the humanities department.<ref name="Herzog 2009">{{cite news |last1=Herzog |first1=Karen |title=Sister Thomas leaves a growing legacy |url=https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/sister-thomas-leaves-a-growing-legacy/article_d48459f4-d7ca-5e1e-a166-f511d1868346.html |access-date=September 18, 2019 |work=[[The Bismarck Tribune]] |date=April 17, 2009}}</ref> In 1978 she was named the school's fifth president.<ref name="retirement">{{cite news |title=Sister Thomas Welder to retire |url=https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/sister-thomas-welder-to-retire/article_77fe7cdb-8ae4-5e5c-8283-eb06b524506b.html |access-date=September 18, 2019 |work=[[The Bismarck Tribune]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=May 6, 2008 |language=en}}</ref> The college attained university status in 1986, becoming the [[University of Mary]],<ref name="ND Governor"/> and the enrollment increased from 925 students to nearly 3,000.<ref name="chamber connection">{{cite magazine|title=Current and former University of Mary presidents earn highest honor|magazine=Chamber Connection|publisher=Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce|date=July 2015|page=23|url=https://issuu.com/bismarckmandanchamberconnection/docs/07chamberconnection}}</ref> As president, Welder was known for her ability to remember names and faces.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kalberer |first1=Lauren |title=Women's History Month – Sister Thomas Welder |url=https://www.kxnet.com/news/womens-history-month-sister-thomas-welder/ |access-date=September 18, 2019 |work=KX NEWS |date=March 12, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Suleiman 2020">{{cite news |last1=Suleiman |first1=Bilal |title=Former longtime University of Mary President Sister Thomas Welder dies; remembered for leadership, kindness |url=https://bismarcktribune.com/business/former-longtime-university-of-mary-president-sister-thomas-welder-dies-remembered-for-leadership-kindness/article_3f6517db-22ae-5d02-a2d1-e229e8aee1b8.html |access-date=June 23, 2020 |work=[[The Bismarck Tribune]] |date=June 22, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> She emphasized teaching [[servant leadership]] and Benedictine values.<ref name="Herzog 2009"/> In 2004, she was granted the [[Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award]], the highest honor of the state of North Dakota.<ref name="retirement"/><ref name="ND Governor"/> Her portrait is displayed in the [[North Dakota State Capitol]].<ref name="kfyrtv">{{cite news|date=June 22, 2020|title=Sister Thomas Welder passes away|work=www.kfyrtv.com|url=https://www.kfyrtv.com/content/news/Sister-Thomas-Welder-passes-away-571421371.html|access-date=June 22, 2020}}</ref> In 2009, she retired and was named President Emerita.<ref name="Herzog 2009"/><ref name="university profile">{{cite web |title=About Sister Thomas |url=https://www.umary.edu/academics/library/sister-thomas-welder.php |website=University of Mary |access-date=September 18, 2019}}</ref>


==Death==
==Death==
Welder had [[polycystic kidney disease]]; she received two transplants, in 2001 and in 2011.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Herzog |first1=Karen |title=Situation 'a real call to trust' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/347562155/ |accessdate=June 25, 2020 |work=[[The Bismarck Tribune]] |date=July 2, 2005 |page=13}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Eckroth |first1=Leann |title=Sister Thomas Welder gets kidney transplant |url=https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/sister-thomas-welder-gets-kidney-transplant/article_1c75f99c-5ef1-11e0-8dab-001cc4c03286.html |accessdate=September 18, 2019 |work=[[The Bismarck Tribune]] |date=April 4, 2011}}</ref> She died in [[Bismarck, North Dakota]], on June 22, 2020,<ref>{{cite web |title=Iconic Servant Leader, Educator and University President Emerita, Sister Thomas Welder has Died |url=https://news.umary.edu/iconic-servant-leader-educator-and-university-president-emerita-sister-thomas-welder-has-died/ |website=News Room - University of Mary |accessdate=25 June 2020 |date=22 June 2020}}</ref> after having been diagnosed with kidney cancer.<ref name="Suleiman 2020"/> The state governor, [[Doug Burgum]], and the former governor and current senator [[John Hoeven]] expressed their condolences.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sweeney |first1=Pat |title=Longtime U-Mary president dies |url=https://knoxradio.com/news/local/longtime-u-mary-president-dies |accessdate=June 23, 2020 |work=KNOX Radio |date=June 22, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> Hoeven and Senator [[Kevin Cramer]] memorialized her in floor speeches to the [[United States Senate]] on June 24.<ref>{{cite news |last1=<!--staff writer, no byline--> |title=Late Sister Thomas Welder honored in Congress |url=https://bismarcktribune.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/late-sister-thomas-welder-honored-in-congress/article_db597e62-a30c-5595-b512-3a220b32b038.html |accessdate=June 25, 2020 |work=[[The Bismarck Tribune]] |date=June 24, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>
Welder had [[polycystic kidney disease]]; she received two transplants, in 2001 and in 2011.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Herzog |first1=Karen |title=Situation 'a real call to trust' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/347562155/ |access-date=June 25, 2020 |work=[[The Bismarck Tribune]] |date=July 2, 2005 |page=13}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Eckroth |first1=Leann |title=Sister Thomas Welder gets kidney transplant |url=https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/sister-thomas-welder-gets-kidney-transplant/article_1c75f99c-5ef1-11e0-8dab-001cc4c03286.html |access-date=September 18, 2019 |work=[[The Bismarck Tribune]] |date=April 4, 2011}}</ref> She died in [[Bismarck, North Dakota]], on June 22, 2020,<ref>{{cite web |title=Iconic Servant Leader, Educator and University President Emerita, Sister Thomas Welder has Died |url=https://news.umary.edu/iconic-servant-leader-educator-and-university-president-emerita-sister-thomas-welder-has-died/ |website=News Room - University of Mary |access-date=25 June 2020 |date=22 June 2020}}</ref> after having been diagnosed with kidney cancer.<ref name="Suleiman 2020"/> The state governor, [[Doug Burgum]], and the senator [[John Hoeven]] expressed their condolences.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sweeney |first1=Pat |title=Longtime U-Mary president dies |url=https://knoxradio.com/news/local/longtime-u-mary-president-dies |access-date=June 23, 2020 |work=KNOX Radio |date=June 22, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> Hoeven and Senator [[Kevin Cramer]] memorialized her in floor speeches to the [[United States Senate]] on June 24.<ref>{{cite news |last1=<!--staff writer, no byline--> |title=Late Sister Thomas Welder honored in Congress |url=https://bismarcktribune.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/late-sister-thomas-welder-honored-in-congress/article_db597e62-a30c-5595-b512-3a220b32b038.html |access-date=June 25, 2020 |work=[[The Bismarck Tribune]] |date=June 24, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Suleiman 2020b">{{cite news |last1=Suleiman |first1=Bilal |title=Sister Thomas Welder remembered as 'a true servant leader' during funeral at University of Mary |url=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 |work=The Bismarck Tribune |date=29 June 2020 |archive-url=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 |archive-date=6 May 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

A visitation, open to the public, was held for Welder on June 28, 2020, by the [[University of Mary]], in conjunction with the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery, in the Our Lady of the Annunciation Chapel on the University's campus. During the seven-hour visitation period, guests were invited to pray before the body of Welder while friends and community leaders read aloud continuously from the [[St. John's Bible]] the Gospels of Luke and John. <ref>{{cite web |title=Sister Thomas Welder Visitation, June 28, 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcuYp7tYxCw&feature=youtu.be&t=811 |website=Youtube |publisher=University of Mary |accessdate=29 July 2020}}</ref> Notable readers included Senator [[John Hoeven]] and former First Lady Mikey Hoeven,<ref>{{cite web |title=North Dakota Senator John and Mikey Hoeven Reading at Sister Thomas Welder's Visitation |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFRkdEacSvI |website=Youtube |publisher=University of Mary |accessdate=29 July 2020}}</ref>, former Governor Ed Schafer and former First Lady Nancy Schafer, <ref>{{cite web |title=Former ND Governor Ed and Nancy Schafer Read at Monday's Visitation for Sister Thomas Welder |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgBGU5sVQ9c |website=Youtube |publisher=University of Mary |accessdate=29 July 2020}}</ref> among many others. At the end of the visitation, the Sisters of Annunciation Monastery led a vigil with Evening Prayer (or [[Vespers]]), after which Governor [[Doug Burgum]] offered a reflection. <ref>{{cite web |title=North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum Reflects on his Friendship with Sister Thomas Welder |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsS4NWRlG7A |website=Youtube |publisher=University of Mary |accessdate=29 July 2020}}</ref>

The following morning, June 29, 2020, the visitation continued with the continuous reading of the [[St. John's Bible]], this time from the Psalms, ending with the [[Song of Ascents]], select psalms traditionally chanted by pilgrims concluding their travels by ascending the steps of [[Temple in Jerusalem]]. <ref>{{cite web |title=What are the Songs of Ascent? |url=https://www.gotquestions.org/Songs-of-Ascent.html |website=GotQuestions |publisher=GotQuestions |accessdate=29 July 2020}}</ref> These final psalms were read by Senator [[Kevin Cramer]] and his wife Kris Cramer before concluding for the funeral liturgy. <ref>{{cite web |title=ND Senator Kevin & Kris Cramer Reading the Songs of Ascent at Sister Thomas Welder's Visitation |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0TGkPO7f1Q |website=Youtube |publisher=University of Mary |accessdate=29 July 2020}}</ref>

The funeral [[Mass (liturgy)]] was celebrated by Monsignor James P. Shea, President of the [[University of Mary]], with the Sisters of Annunciation Monastery singing as the choir. The University of Mary's President's Council (vice presidents) served as ushers. Shea also preached the homily, per a request of Welder made shortly before she died, using texts personally selected by Welder. <ref>{{cite web |title=University of Mary President Monsignor James Shea Homily at Sr. Thomas Welder's Funeral Mass |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCFXIF_P7JM |website=Youtube |publisher=University of Mary |accessdate=29 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Shea |first1=Msgr. James |title=Homily for the Funeral Mass of Sister Thomas Welder, OSB, |url=https://www.umary.edu/_resources/pdfs/Funeral-Homily-Sister-Thomas.pdf |website=umary.edu |publisher=University of Mary |accessdate=29 July 2020}}</ref> Following the funeral, the congregation processed with the closed casket to the Sisters' cemetery where she was laid to rest.


==Awards and honors==
==Awards and honors==
[[File:Sister Thomas Roughrider.jpg|350px|thumb|left|Sister Thomas Welder receives the Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award from then Governor John and First Lady Mikey Hoeven, the highest honor the State of North Dakota bestows on one of its citizens (2004).]]
[[File:Sister Thomas Roughrider.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|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<ref name="ND Governor"/>
*[[Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award]] from the State of North Dakota – 2004<ref name="ND Governor"/>
*[[Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame]] of the [[Norsk Høstfest]] – 2007 inductee<ref>{{cite web |title=SAHF Inductees: Sister Thomas Welder |url=https://hostfest.com/sahf/sahf-inductees/sister-thomas-welder/ |website=[[Norsk Høstfest]] |accessdate=September 18, 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
*[[Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame]] of the [[Norsk Høstfest]] – 2007 inductee<ref>{{cite web |title=SAHF Inductees: Sister Thomas Welder |url=https://hostfest.com/sahf/sahf-inductees/sister-thomas-welder/ |website=[[Norsk Høstfest]] |access-date=September 18, 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
* Doctor of the University, ''honoris causa'', from the [[University of Mary]] – 2010<ref>{{cite web |title="Honorary Doctorates |url=https://www.umary.edu/about/heritage/honorary-degrees.php}}</ref>
* Doctor of the University, ''honoris causa'', from the [[University of Mary]] – 2010<ref>{{cite web |title=Honorary Doctorates |url=https://www.umary.edu/about/heritage/honorary-degrees.php}}</ref>
*Caritas Award from Catholic Charities – 2013<ref name="Diocese 2013">{{cite web |title=Sr. Thomas Welder to earn prestigious award |url=https://bismarckdiocese.com/news/sr-thomas-welder-to-earn-prestigious-award |website=[[Diocese of Bismarck]]|date=September 19, 2013|accessdate=September 18, 2019}}</ref>
*Caritas Award from Catholic Charities – 2013<ref name="Diocese 2013">{{cite web |title=Sr. Thomas Welder to earn prestigious award |url=https://bismarckdiocese.com/news/sr-thomas-welder-to-earn-prestigious-award |website=[[Diocese of Bismarck]]|date=September 19, 2013|access-date=September 18, 2019}}</ref>
* Honorary doctorate from [[Belmont Abbey College]] – 2015<ref name="chamber connection"/>
* Honorary doctorate from [[Belmont Abbey College]] – 2015<ref name="chamber connection"/>
* Honorary doctorate from [[St. Anselm College]] – 2017<ref>{{cite web |title= Sr. Thomas Welder receives Honorary Doctorate from St. Anselm College |url=https://news.umary.edu/university-of-mary-president-emerita-sister-thomas-welder-receives-honorary-doctorate-from-saint-anselm-college/}}</ref>
* Honorary doctorate from [[St. Anselm College]] – 2017<ref>{{cite web |title= Sr. Thomas Welder receives Honorary Doctorate from St. Anselm College |url=https://news.umary.edu/university-of-mary-president-emerita-sister-thomas-welder-receives-honorary-doctorate-from-saint-anselm-college/}}</ref>
















== References ==
== References ==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Welder, Thomas}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Welder, Thomas}}

[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in North Dakota]]
[[Category:Deaths from kidney cancer]]
[[Category:Deaths from kidney failure]]
[[Category:Educators from North Dakota]]
[[Category:Educators from North Dakota]]
[[Category:People from Bismarck, North Dakota]]
[[Category:People from Bismarck, North Dakota]]
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[[Category:Heads of universities and colleges in the United States]]
[[Category:Heads of universities and colleges in the United States]]
[[Category:Women heads of universities and colleges]]
[[Category:Women heads of universities and colleges]]
[[Category:20th-century Christian nuns]]
[[Category:20th-century American Roman Catholic nuns]]
[[Category:21st-century Christian nuns]]
[[Category:21st-century American Roman Catholic nuns]]

Latest revision as of 15:59, 8 September 2023

Thomas Welder
President of the University of Mary
In office
1978–2009
Personal details
Born
Diane Marie Welder

April 27, 1940
Linton, North Dakota, U.S.
DiedJune 22, 2020 (aged 80)
Bismarck, North Dakota, U.S.
Alma materCollege of St. Scholastica (BA)
Northwestern University (MMus)

Sister Thomas Welder, OSB (born Diane Marie Welder;[1] 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

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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.[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

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Welder on her first day as president of the University of Mary in 1978.

Welder began working for Mary College in 1963.[9] She taught music and chaired the humanities department.[10] In 1978 she was named the school's fifth president.[9] 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.[10] In 2004, she was granted the Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award, the highest honor of the state of North Dakota.[9][8] Her portrait is displayed in the North Dakota State Capitol.[14] In 2009, she retired and was named President Emerita.[10][15]

Death

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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

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Welder receives the Rough Rider Award from then-Governor John and First Lady Mikey Hoeven (2004).

References

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