Former Vice President of Student Affairs William L. “Bud” Thomas Jr., who oversaw renovations of the Stamp Student Union, reconstruction of many dorms and the building of the Campus Recreation Center, died of complications from a stroke Nov. 6. He was 74.

First hired in 1972 as the director of Resident Life, Thomas was quickly promoted to vice president of Student Affairs two years later, where he would manage 15 departments with combined budgets of more than $100 million for the next 27 years. He also left an indelible mark on the campus by guiding a number of important changes to student life at the university.

“He is an icon to any student affairs professional,” said James Bond, who was the Student Government Association president during the 2001 school year. “If you’re in student affairs, you know the name Bud Thomas.”

Thomas became instrumental in focusing student affairs work into a profession that raised the level of expectations nationwide during his time on the campus. In 1979, Thomas led the charge in creating The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education, which developed national ethical standards for the student affairs profession. He also created the largest regional student affairs conference in the country.

Despite his many administrative duties, Thomas was conscientious about maintaining contact with students and ensuring their involvement in campus affairs, Bond said.

“He was very supportive of students’ concerns and always willing to listen,” Bond said. “He had been here for so long, and had such an institutional history” that he was always able to help students face whatever challenges arose, Bond said.

During Bond’s SGA term, there was a rash of sexual assaults on the campus and Thomas was one of the people pushing students to get involved in addressing the problem, Bond said.

“He was always the guy who had a smile in the back of the room who you could strike a conversation with,” he said.

“At his retirement lunch, he commented on how he was in charge of so many aspects of campus – how, trickling down, he affected the lives of so many students,” said Bond, who described him as a quiet, pleasant man. “I was there at the end of his career, so it just looked so easy [for him].”

“He had the mindset of a student first and that will carry on,” he added.

Thomas also enjoyed mentoring those pursuing careers in student affairs, said his successor, Linda Clement, who remains in his position.

“He mentored a lot of professionals here and across the country,” Clement said. “In this particular division there are many people who spent their entire careers with him here. They like to work in this environment that he created.”

In 2000, he was awarded The President’s Medal for his service to the university, the highest honor the university can give to faculty or staff.

“Much of what we brag about today at this university, including our healthy climate for diversity, our strong sense of ethics and our highly desirable recreational and residential facilities, can be credited to Bud’s commitment to the highest standards for all aspects of campus life,” university President Dan Mote said at the time.

After his retirement a year later, the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society created the annual William L. Thomas Jr. Lecture, which on Nov. 1 brought author and New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman to speak on the campus.

Born in Knoxville, Tenn., in 1932, Thomas served in the Army into the early 1950s, where he became a captain as an active reservist. In 1955, he took a job as assistant dean and director of residence halls at the University of Tennessee after earning a bachelor’s degree in social studies and secondary education there. In 1966, he earned a a master’s in education administration also at the University of Tennessee, and in 1970 received his doctorate in higher education administration from Michigan State University while serving as director of housing at the University of Colorado in Greeley.

Thomas is survived by his wife of 45 years, Betsy Ann Woods, his daughter Marci, son Will, sister LaVerne Thomas Eager and nieces Alison and Michelle.

A memorial service will be held on Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. in the Memorial Chapel.

Staff writer Ben Block contributed to this report. Contact reporter Alex Tilitz at tilitzdbk@gmail.com.