The community of Nazarene Theological Seminary honors the memory of Gladys Dodd, 1959 graduate of NTS and one of the earliest female graduates of the seminary. Gladys was a lifelong teacher, having taught over five thousand students in public school grades 1 through 12. The major portion of her teaching career was in the social studies department at Westminster (CO) High School. She passed away July 15, 2022, at her home in Covenant Living of Colorado, Westminster.
Gladys was born in Eureka, Kansas and lived throughout the western United States before settling in Colorado. She earned Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from the University of Illinois. She earned a graduate divinity degree from Nazarene Theological Seminary where her thesis, “The Religious Background of the Eisenhower Family” remains one of the most accessed student theses in the William Broadhurst Library. The excerpted thesis was printed in the Autumn 1963 (Vol. 29, No. 3) quarterly of the Kansas Historical Society and is available on the KSHS website.
Recently, Gladys worked with long-time friend and caregiver, Val Ranum, to establish the Gladys Dodd and Val Ranum Scholarship of Distinction at Nazarene Theological Seminary. Through their generosity, the formation of female graduate divinity students will be supported for years to come. Gladys was a faithful supporter of NTS, having hosted five seminary presidents and others from the school over the years. She was always keenly interested in student development and was delighted to learn that women now comprise forty percent of NTS students.
“Gladys Dodd exemplified the kind of generative life that we hope to see in every alumnus of NTS,” said President Jeren Rowell. “She understood her teaching vocation as faithful expression of the ministry of the gospel. No doubt, thousands of lives were impacted by this wonderful servant of the Lord Jesus.”
The NTS Community offers its sympathy and prayers to the family and friends of Gladys Dodd.
To give to the “Dodd & Ranum scholarship of distinction” or another scholarship, click here and choose it from the list. If you would like information on starting a scholarship, click here or contact Rev. Tim McPherson, Dean for Advancement: [email protected] ; 816-787-5911.
