Dr. Judith Thomas

Judith Ann Waugh Thomas, or "Dr. T.," as she was affectionately known, led a remarkable life of servant leadership through excellence in education. She served in various academic and administrative roles at Lincoln University of Pennsylvania for 39 years, and she was a teacher, mentor, cheerleader, and friend to those who had the opportunity to know, love, and admire her.
Judith was born on November 9, 1940, to Charles and Violet Waugh in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and graduated from New Kensington High School (now Valley High School) in 1958. Although she did not know how she was going to pay for college, she found a way and enrolled at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in English and Spanish. After graduation, she returned to New Kensington to begin her teaching career, and made history as the first African American teacher at Har-Brack High School in Natrona Heights, PA. Sensing that there was more she could offer if she went back to school, she left Har-Brack in 1966, and went on to earn a master's degree in education from Duquesne University and a Doctor of Education degree from West Virginia University ("WVU") in speech and education. While she was at WVU, she met her future husband, James Thomas, who was working on his master's degree, and they married on August 16, 1969.
James and Judith soon welcomed their daughter, Michelle, and were expecting a second child as they settled into life as college professors at West Liberty State College (now West Liberty University) in West Virginia, when Judith happened to see some crumpled papers in the trash at their home. When she learned that the papers were medical school applications that James had tossed aside in preparation for the arrival of a second child, Judith took the papers out of the trash and encouraged her husband to submit the applications. James was convinced by his wife's positive outlook and applied. He was accepted to medical school in Philadelphia, and the young couple later became parents of three after the arrival of twin boys, Bradley and Brian. The family of five then made the move to Pennsylvania for James to attend medical school. Judith applied to Lincoln University for an assistant professor position in the Education Department and was hired. She was excited to be teaching young African American students for the first time, and she enthusiastically began this new phase of her career.
At Lincoln, Judith worked to prepare students to become teachers and served as the Director of Student Teaching. She also worked with the speech and debate teams. In the classroom, she focused on oral language proficiency, multicultural education, the African American experience, and education in urban schools. It was important for her students to be able to handle "the language of the marketplace" effectively so that they would be marketable and prepared for jobs and important networking opportunities. She was always willing to do anything to support her students and maintained an open-door policy throughout her tenure at Lincoln. She was known to invite students to her home, cook for them, drive them to debating competitions in her own car, and bake her signature chocolate chip cookies. After her first year of teaching in 1975, Judith won the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching.
She was later promoted to the chair of the Education Department, and her promotion was published in Jet Magazine. She would go on to become the dean of the School of Social Sciences and Behavioral Studies, interim Vice President of Enrollment, Planning & Student Life, and Special Assistant to the University President.
Judith also established herself as a widely sought-after keynote speaker and educational consultant. She was the commencement speaker for the Pennsylvania State University – Media, Pennsylvania Campus, Gwynedd Mercy College, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, the Governor's School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, and Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania for the First World Graduation. She regularly served as a consultant in both basic and higher education on topics such as oral language proficiency, multicultural education, teaching methodology, curriculum development, and recruitment strategies for minority students and faculty.
Judith published several articles and did post-doctoral study at Northwestern University on a Lilly Foundation grant. She was a member of the Board of Managers of the Philadelphia Foundation, the Chester County Historical Society, and past president of the Pennsylvania Black Conference on Higher Education and the Chester County Education Foundation. Her biological sketch was selected for publication in the Pennsylvania Commission for Women's role modeling book detailing the success stories of African American and Latina Women ("Voices," 2006).
In 2006, Dr. Thomas was honored with the President's Award from the Pennsylvania Black Conference on Higher Education and the C. Delores Tucker Award from the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus. She was featured in the 2005 Black History Month issue of American Legacy Magazine in a special section entitled "Teaching Black History Today." In the Spring of 2003, the Lincoln University presented her with the "Most Eloquent" and "Most Dedicated Academic Dean" awards. In February 2002, the President of Harrisburg Community College presented her with the W.E.B. DuBois Community Service Award. She has won the Sojourner Truth Award from the National Association of Business and Professional Women, the Outstanding Educator Award from the Black DuPont Employees, the Mary E. Baltimore Award for Outstanding Contribution to Education from the Pennsylvania Black Conference on Higher Education, the Outstanding Faculty Member Award from Phi Beta Fraternity, Inc., the Distinguished Alumni Award from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, the Distinguished Professor Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Lincoln University administration, The Finer Womanhood "Women In Education" award from Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Beta Delta Zeta Chapter, the Basileus Award for Outstanding Contributions to Students from Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity, Inc.
In 2012, she was honored by the Philadelphia Chapter of the Lincoln University Alumni Association at the Dr. Frank Tick Coleman Tenth Annual Awards Luncheon for her commitment and dedication to Lincoln University, a unique and special award for someone who is not a Lincoln alum. She retired from Lincoln in 2013 with thirty-nine years of service.
In 2016, she received the Leon D. Sullivan Service Award for her outstanding example of leadership and pursuit of excellence in service to her community from the Chester County Opportunities Industrial Center (OIC).
Outside of her commitment to Lincoln University, Judith continued her service at St. Paul's Baptist Church, where she was a member for more than 35 years. She was on the Welcome Committee and was a past chair of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Committee. She was a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and a charter member of the Valley Forge Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, and the Chester County Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. She was also a proud member of The Links, Inc. and The Drifters, Inc.
Judith was known for her positive outlook, her love of dancing, and a colorful speaking style that often included rhymes and rap. Her love of life was truly contagious. She was a favorite of the Holbrook of Decatur care staff and was especially cared for by Lezlie Sinclair and Megan Andrews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Violet Waugh, her husband of 42 years, Dr. James A. Thomas, and her brother, Charles A. Waugh, III (Patricia). She is survived by her daughter, Michelle, twin sons Bradley (Amalia) and Brian, granddaughter, Cydnee M. Thompson, sisters Patricia Bassett, Sheila Mitchell (Norman), nieces Erica Marshall (Nigel), Monica Waugh-Benton (Marcus), Candice Monaco (Martin), Stacey Brennan, and Charee A. Waugh, and nephew, Charles A. Waugh, IV, along with a host of other family, friends, and colleagues.
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