By Cassandra Taylor, Publications Assistant
After an eleven-year period of service as Dean of the College, Walter J. Thompson is stepping back to focus solely on teaching. This announcement was made at Commencement, where Mr. Thompson fittingly delivered the presidential exhortation to the last class he would shepherd through the College in his capacity as Dean. The mantle of the office will be taken up by Dr. Denis Kitzinger, Fellow and former Dean of Students.
“I had the great fortune to have served on the faculty of Thomas More College under two great deans, Christopher Blum and Jay Thompson, both great men and great Catholics,” said Dr. Kitzinger. “Jay Thompson’s service as Dean was in every respect exemplary, be that his relationship with students and colleagues, his judicious leadership in faculty meetings, his charitable teaching advice, or his public presence.”
In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the College, and for thirty years of teaching, Mr. Thompson was recognized at a special dinner in April 2024 where the community gathered to celebrate his career. Surrounded by his family, friends, colleagues, and students, Mr. Thompson received tributes from those who know him best, as well as from alumni who sent in heartfelt messages. President Fahey also awarded Mr. Thompson the rarely bestowed Thomas More Medal and gave him the title of Senior Fellow—an honor never before given to anyone in the history of Thomas More College. It was meant to reflect not only Mr. Thompson’s contributions to the day-to-day administration of the College, but also his example to the faculty and his dedication to scholarship, friendship, and the pursuit of truth. “The medal merely represents the goodness of the man,” said President Fahey, “and the title truly recognizes what he is amongst us. These honors bestow little upon Jay Thompson. He ennobles them.”
“As Dean, Jay shared his talent for organization with the faculty, and I could at this time praise his managerial skills and excellence at communication,” remarked Fellow and Guildmaster Dr. Fred Fraser. “I prefer, however, to dwell on what I consider his more valuable contribution to the College: his continual, gentlemanly challenge to us teachers to live a sacramental life, to maintain a broad range of interests, and to be maximally available to students. His own conduct on campus entirely coincides with these principles: he is always at daily Mass, and his own studies are diversified by the students’ interests. (I took a particular pleasure in recent years watching my Dean, who is a philosopher/theologian, turn into a scholar of Russian literature to serve students better).” He continued, “In Jay, one finds a leader who thinks not only of the way and whither it goes but also of those who are with him on the journey and whatever their interests are. He quite understands St. Paul’s words, caritas congaudet veritati, which are also the College’s motto: ‘charity rejoices in the truth.’”
“Perhaps the most important lesson Jay Thompson taught me was to put the truth, and understanding and grasping the truth, above every other concern,” Dr. Kitzinger reflected. “In particular, he helped me to admit my ignorance, a very important freedom. It does not matter how silly one’s question may be, Jay will give it his whole consideration. He will not think about the questioner, what the question might reveal about the relative ignorance of the questioner, but the question, the matter, a matter calling to be grasped. He desires the truth. In this, he truly lives what we hope for our students here at TMC and should hope for ourselves: humility and a love of wisdom. I am honored to be on the same faculty with him and immensely grateful for his friendship.”
Mr. Thompson has taught at Thomas More College since 2008. He served as Dean of Students from 2009–2012 and as Dean of the College from 2013–2024. While his particular contributions to the deanship will be missed, we are grateful that the community will continue to benefit from Mr. Thompson’s ongoing presence and work on campus, hopefully for many years to come.
