In Memoriam
Thomas J. Nolan
After my high school graduation, I applied for jobs and heard the same words: “I am sorry but you have no experience.” I was interviewed by Tom Nolan for a position in the Registrar’s Office. Tom hired me. I was thrilled that I had gained employment due to the need to support my young child, myself and later in life, my mother. I found Tom to be an extremely supportive and kind supervisor. At that time, there were four secretaries in the Registrar’s Office and Tom treated all of us with the highest respect. Because of Tom’s personal qualities and his ability to supervise four women who interacted without one bit of tension attests to his abilities as a supervisor. One day when Tom attempted to leave the office without a coat to play handball with President Binder, we all chimed in with “It’s cold out there! Get a coat.” Tom grumbled, “It’s like having five wives,” but Tom put the coat on. Mission accomplished. After 39 years, there are two stories that I still remember. The first was when a student entered the Registrar’s Office to inform us that he was one credit short of graduation. Tom’s first remark was, “it’s not my problem.” These were the kind of remarks that helped him to earn the reputation of being called “Black Tom.” Tom’s next step was to suggest how the student could earn that one credit needed to graduate. Again, the soft side of Tom Nolan always took over in the end. As I mentioned, I was “green” when Tom hired me. Once I typed a letter and failed to proof it well. I had typed the word “sex” instead of “six”. For those of you who knew Tom, you can easily believe that I heard about it for a year. In 1990 as my daughter walked across the stage to receive her Juniata College degree, I remembered that it was Tom Nolan who gave an inexperienced secretary a chance and was indirectly responsible for my daughter being able to further her education with a college degree.
Tom will be missed by many who knew the real Tom Nolan. —Susan LaVere, health professions program and educational services assistant
He earned a bachelor’s degree in 1951 from King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. and went on to earn a master’s degree in economics in 1953 from Penn State University. He taught courses as a graduate assistant at Penn State from 1952 to 1953. He took a sabbatical in 1988 to the University of Washington to take economics courses that would enhance his own teaching. He also took graduate courses at Penn State during his long career at Juniata. Nicknamed “Black Tom” for his “lovably irascible” persona, Nolan loved politics, sports and all things Irish.
79
2010 Spring-Summer
Thomas J. Nolan, professor emeritus of economics and former registrar at Juniata College from 1953 until his retirement in 2000, died March 29 at age 80. He was hired as an instructor and was promoted to assistant professor in 1956. Nolan served as registrar from 1970 to 1981 and returned to the faculty as a professor of economics. He is survived by his wife, Sue Esch, professor emeritus of mathematics at Juniata, and three children, Thomas, Christopher and Barbara. He was previously married to Marilyn Maher, who passed away in 1979. A daughter, Beth, passed away in 1983.