Mary B. Thomas ’28 (1907-1999) was active as both a student and an alumna of Otterbein, and when she passed, she ensured that her legacy would continue to impact every new student who enters the University.

Thomas is the founder of Otterbein’s Common Book program, one of the first of its kind in the country. Thanks to her generosity, since 1995 a Common Book has been distributed to all first-year students free of charge in the summer. Faculty and staff also receive a free copy of the book so they may prepare for the upcoming year’s events and have a common reading experience to relate with the new students.  

Program organizers encourage all faculty members to use the book in their classes, take part in the year-long programming related to the book, or discuss the book with first-year students in informal ways. The highlight of the experience is a campus visit by the Common Book author for the Common Book Convocation and book signing.  

Thomas began her college career at Denison University where she studied for one year before transferring to Otterbein. A member of the Philalethean Literary Society and Quiz and Quill, she was very passionate about literature and won the Barnes Short Story Award and several other literary prizes. She also belonged to the Sigma Alpha Tau (Owls) sorority and was a member of the Church of the Master United Methodist. 

Thomas graduated cum laude from Otterbein and later studied Journalism at the University of Wisconsin and received her master’s degree in English Literature from The Ohio State University in 1933. Otterbein presented her with an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 1981. 

Formerly employed in the Treasurer’s Office at Otterbein, she was an active member of the Otterbein Board of Trustees from 1960-1979, serving as secretary and as a member of the executive committee. When she retired from the board in 1979, the Board recognized her with a resolution citing her leadership and the generosity, diversity, and magnitude of her service, and naming her an Honorary Trustee. 

In 1977, Thomas was named the Westerville Otterbein Women’s Club “Woman of the Year.” The award was presented to her in recognition of her “unselfish dedication and loyalty to Otterbein.” 

In the community, Thomas was a member of the New Century Club, the National Federation of Music Clubs, and the Westerville Memorial Library Board, in which she held the offices of treasurer, vice-president, and president. She also served as an officer at the local, state, and regional levels for the American Association of University Women. 

Thomas became a donor to Otterbein when its development board was formed in 1948, participating in many capital campaigns and donating her house to Otterbein when she moved to Friendship Village in 1979. 

In 1994, Thomas endowed The Thomas Academic Excellence Series in honor of her parents, Fred N. and Emma B. Thomas. It created intellectual excitement and strengthened bonds on campus by providing a shared academic experience for new students through the Common Book. In addition to her establishment of the Thomas Academic Excellence Series, she also supported a variety of scholarships and endowments, as well as the Cornerstone Campaign and the Towers Hall renovation. She honored Otterbein with a $6.3 million estate gift. 

In recognition of her impact on the University, the highest recognition that Otterbein gives is named for Thomas.

The Mary B. Thomas Award for Commitment to Otterbein was established in 2011 by President Emerita Kathy A. Krendl and the University’s Board of Trustees to recognize the remarkable commitment of Otterbein investors to the University. 

Recipients of the Mary B. Thomas ’28 Commitment to Otterbein Award are recognized for their philanthropic leadership, service, and commitment to advance Otterbein’s mission as a Model Community. Their contributions — offered through significant contributions and/or time and talent (longtime or extraordinary advisory or other volunteer leadership) — provide transformative and lasting change that positively impacts the University and its students, faculty, and staff.  

In other words, recipients reflect the values and legacy of Thomas herself. 

The next time you are in Courtright Memorial Library, be sure to visit the second floor, where you can find a gallery of all the Common Books and authors that Mary B. Thomas has brought to Otterbein over the past three decades… and counting.