University Family Mourns Loss of William "Bud" Thomas

Family and friends today are mourning the loss of Dr. William L. (Bud) Thomas, Jr., former Vice President of Student Affairs at the University of Maryland (College Park), who died on November 6, 2006, of complications resulting from a stroke.

"Bud" Thomas devoted nearly 40 years to the profession of student affairs. Until 2001, he was the University of Maryland’s esteemed Vice President of Student Affairs for more than 26 years, working with six different presidents, and leaving an indelible mark on the university and the thousands of students upon whom he had an impact.

As Vice President, Thomas managed 15 units, with combined budgets of over $100 million, and was appointed Acting Athletic Director for almost a year. He was the driving force behind the rebuilding of the campus residence halls, and fraternity and sorority houses; the renovation of the Health Center and the Adele Stamp Student Union; and the construction of the Campus Recreation Center and Golf Course Clubhouse. He was an Affiliate Professor in the Department of Counseling and Personnel Services, teaching the doctoral capstone seminar, among others. Among his many awards and honors, Thomas received in 2000 the highest award that the University of Maryland can bestow upon a faculty or staff member—The President's Medal. Along with many accolades during the award ceremony, UM president C. D. Mote, Jr. remarked, "Much of what we brag about today at this University, including our healthy climate for diversity, our strong sense of ethics and our highly desirable recreational and residential facilities, can be credited to Bud's commitment to the highest standards for all aspects of campus life."

Dr. Thomas was born on February 12, 1932, in Knoxville (TN). He served in the Army in the 1950s, including a posting in Germany, leaving the reserves with the rank of Captain. He went on to receive his B.S. degree (Social Studies in Secondary Education) in 1955 and a M.S degree (Education Administration and Supervision) in 1966 from the University of Tennessee and his Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Michigan State University in 1970. Dr. Thomas moved to Silver Spring in 1972 and resided there until his death.

Before joining the University of Maryland family, Thomas served in a number of progressively responsible positions in the profession of student affairs in universities across the nation. Previous jobs included Director of Housing at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado and Director of Residence Halls and Assistant Dean of Students at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Prior to assuming the position of Vice President for Student Affairs, he served as Director of Resident Life at Maryland.

At his retirement, he was honored with having a major campus lecture named for him by Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society. The William L. Thomas, Jr. Lecture today is part of a series sponsored by the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society, and on campus last week, Bud enjoyed the annual lecture presented this year by Thomas Friedman, author of the bestseller The World Is Flat.

Thomas was active nationally in both the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and the American College Personnel Association, holding several leadership positions. His impact on colleagues and young student affairs professionals across the country is unparalleled.

He was the driving force behind the Council for the Advancement of Standards, which developed national ethical standards for all of the functions within the profession of Student Affairs. Thomas authored numerous publications and book chapters on the role of student affairs and was a much sought after consultant and lecturer. In addition, Thomas was credited with creating the Maryland Student Affairs Conference, which is the largest and longest running regional conference in the country.

To honor his outstanding contributions to the University of Maryland and the Student Affairs Profession, Thomas was presented with the NASPA "Scott Goodnight Award," given to the most outstanding dean or vice president of students in the United States.

In the last years of his tenure at Maryland, Dr. Thomas worked hard to help construct a new recreation center and a renovated building for the golf course, where he frequently loved to play, recently getting a hole in one and, just last week at age 74, winning the "Most Improved Golfer" award.

Dr. Thomas married Betsy Ann Woods in 1961, and they remained married until his death. He is survived by his daughter Marci, his son Will, his sister LaVerne Thomas Eager, and his nieces Alison and Michelle.

There will be a memorial celebration of Bud's life scheduled for January 17, 2007, at 2:00 p.m. in the Memorial Chapel at the University of Maryland. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to the University of Maryland College Park Foundation [PDF] in support of the William L. Thomas, Jr. Lecture.