Penn State mourns loss of former first lady Marly Thomas

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Marly Dukes Thomas, former first lady of Penn State, died on Dec. 19, 2021, at 88 years old.

The wife of Joab Thomas, Penn State’s 15th president, Marly Thomas served as the University’s first lady from 1990 to 1995. She is remembered by friends and colleagues as a steadfast and passionate supporter of the University, a compassionate and loving wife, and a devoted and caring friend.

“Loyalty and grace are the two words that come to mind when I reflect on the life of Marly Thomas. She and her husband, President Joab Thomas, loved Penn State and its people,” said Carol Herrmann, former Penn State senior vice president for administration during Thomas’ tenure. “They maintained and treasured those relationships long after they left the University. Her friends and colleagues will honor her memory by recalling the happy and warm times we shared with her, not only while she was Penn State’s first lady, but also after she stepped away from that demanding role.  She will be missed.”

Born June 3, 1933, in Boise, Idaho, she became the first woman from Idaho to attend Radcliffe College. There she met her husband, who was attending Radcliffe College’s sister institution of Harvard University, and the two were married during their senior year in 1954. Thomas went on to earn a master’s degree from the Harvard School of Education and worked as a third-grade teacher in Wellesley, Massachusetts, until 1961, when her husband accepted a position with the University of Alabama.

In addition to Penn State, Thomas was also first lady at North Carolina State University from 1976 to 1981, and the University of Alabama from 1981-1988. At each institution she served, Thomas actively engaged with the university community and travelled both nationally and internationally to support their schools’ students and programs. As Penn State’s first lady, she regularly engaged with activities, organizations, community members and events at each of Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses.

“Marly Thomas was a gracious first lady for Penn State. She enjoyed being a part of campus and community events, and always cheered on our faculty, staff and students,” said Carolyn Dolbin, who served as an administrative assistant to President Thomas. “Joab and Marly Thomas were a great team, and she will be greatly missed.”

Thomas, alongside her husband, was a dedicated philanthropic supporter of Penn State. Together they contributed financial support to numerous areas across the University, including establishing the Joab and Marly Thomas Graduate Fellowship, which supports graduate students across the University who demonstrate academic excellence. Thomas and her husband were also passionate supporters of the University’s alumni community and played an important role in increasing membership within the Penn State Alumni Association and establishing alumni interest groups including the Lion Ambassadors, the University’s student alumni corps, who aim to communicate the University’s history, personality and traditions to students, alumni and friends.

“Marly Thomas and her husband, Joab, were strong advocates of the Penn State Alumni Association, and their support helped enable the association to become the largest dues-paying alumni association in the world during their tenure at the University,” said Roger Williams, former executive director of the Penn State Alumni Association. “For their dedicated support and visionary leadership of Penn State, Marly and Joab were both named honorary Lion Ambassadors and inducted in 1995 as Honorary Alumni of the University — an honor in recognition of their significant contributions to Penn State’s welfare, reputation and prestige. Marly Thomas was a beloved first lady of our University, and the Penn State community thanks her for all she helped accomplish.”

Thomas was an active supporter of charitable causes and community organizations throughout her life. She held positions with organizations including the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce, the United Way of Tuscaloosa County, the North Carolina Symphony, the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office, the Raleigh Fine Arts Society and the Friends of the Penn State Palmer Museum of Art, among others. She was also a talented singer who held memberships with choral groups including the Chorus Pro Musica in Boston and the Community Singers of Tuscaloosa.

Thomas was preceded in death by her husband, who died in 2014. She is survived by their four children, 13 grandchildren and three step-grandchildren.

Members of the Penn State community who wish to honor her memory are asked by the family to consider a memorial gift to the Joab and Marly Thomas Graduate Fellowship at Penn State, the Joab Thomas Scholarship at the University of Alabama, or the North Carolina State University Foundation.