����ӰԺ

Sunday marked what would have been the 100^th birthday of Thomas Aquinas College’s founding president, Dr. Ronald P. McArthur, who passed away in 2013. 

Over on her blog, , alumna author Suzie (Zeiter ’87) Andres reflects on her time at the College and her friendship with the late president. “When I asked Mrs. McArthur what she thought when her husband decided to start a college, I was stunned at her answer,” Mrs. Andres writes. “She said, ‘I thought it was a great idea,’ which surprised me greatly until I learned that previously he had considered becoming a carpenter — and apparently he was a terrible carpenter!” 

His carpentry career set to the wayside, Dr. McArthur set about writing the College’s founding document, A Proposal for the Fulfillment of Catholic Liberal Education, with fellow founders Marcus R. Berquist and Dr. John W. Neumayr. He was named Thomas Aquinas College’s first president in 1970. He did much to grow and promote the College during his time as president and taught on the ����ӰԺ campus for more than 30 years, leaving a great impact on his associates, friends, and students. 

One such student was Mrs. Andres, who chose Dr. McArthur as her senior thesis advisor. Their friendship blossomed, and the two spent years and bonding over a mutual love for good writing. Mrs. Andres admired Dr. McArthur for his down-to-earth nature, love of the saints, and great courage and dedication to founding a truly Catholic liberal arts college. 

“With tears in my eyes, I think of how this college changed my life and taught me first and foremost what riches God has given us in the Catholic faith,” she says. “I went seamlessly from high school days that were far from carefree to an immersion experience like no other. I can't say my days at the College were the best days of my life, because the days keep getting better, but I can say they were the beginning of the best days.” 

Please pray for the repose of Dr. McArthur’s soul, as well as for his wife, Marilyn, who died in 2022.