WHEELING — Two stalwarts of the Wheeling community will be honored in June as new members of the Wheeling Hall of Fame.

The Rev. James A. O’Brien, S.J., and the late Beatrice Ann Thomas will join nine other inductees at a Saturday, June 10, ceremony at WesBanco Arena. Otten and Mercer are being inducted in the category of public service.

The event is open to the public and will begin at 6 p.m. A catered dinner is included. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased at WesbancoArena.com, or by calling the box office at 304-233-7000 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Rev. James

A. O’Brien, S.J.

O’Brien, born April 7, 1927, is one of eight children born to James W. and Julia O’Brien. Ordained a priest in 1960, he stayed in Baltimore for two years, continuing his studies and volunteering on weekends. He received a bachelor of arts and master of arts from Loyola University, Chicago.

He is the longest serving Jesuit priest at Wheeling University. In 1962, the young Jesuit priest arrived at Wheeling College to teach philosophy. The self-proclaimed “new kid on the block” wasn’t assigned to a residence hall that first year, but found himself living with 12 senior men off-campus in Avalon House — a home owned by the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston on Francis Avenue.

O’Brien taught ethics and was long concerned with questions of justice and peace as well as hands-on involvement with students in Appalachian settings and applications. His research interests included the Philosophy of the Human Person and the Philosophy of Jesuit education.

During the mid-1960s, O’Brien took an academic leave of absence to complete work on his doctorate at Duquesne University. Still assigned to Wheeling during this time, he spent the bulk of his finishing course work at Duquesne.

The 1970s Appalachian Bishops Pastoral Letter — “This Land is Home to Me” — served as a call to action for Fr. O’Brien. He organized the first Appalachian Experience Club in 1978 to help those in need in southern West Virginia. O’Brien, along with students, would chop wood to heat the homes of the less fortunate and enjoy the rural setting each fall and spring break. While the club no longer exists, its mission, to serve others, has blossomed into the university’s Appalachian Institute.

“You get better insight as to why people are poor,” he said. “These experiences keep you grounded.”

Now in its 21st year, the institute continues to promote research, service and advocacy for/with the people of the region – keeping his dream to build healthier, stronger, and more sustainable communities alive today.

O’Brien served as an active member at Wheeling Jesuit University for more than 50 years. Today, while retired and a resident of the Colombiere Jesuit Community in Baltimore, he continues to serve the university community as an active member of the alumni association.

Each year during Alumni Weekend, the Alumni Council presents the James O’Brien, S.J. Award, to recent graduates who manifest a growing competence in their chosen field, and whose personal life reflects the university’s mission of educating “men and women for life, leadership and service to others.”

Beatrice Ann Thomas

Thomas was just six months old when her mother moved to Wheeling from a North Carolina tobacco farm to help Ann’s aunt and uncle run the New Dixie Restaurant on Chapline Street. Thomas grew up in Wheeling during the turbulent years of Jim Crow and the transition from segregation to desegregation. From first grade on, she attended Black-students-only Lincoln School. But thanks to the landmark Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954), her mother’s encouragement, and Ann’s perseverance, intelligence and hard work, she graduated from integrated Wheeling High School in 1956.

After graduation Thomas started working as a nursing aide at the old North Wheeling Hospital. When her attempt to further her education and enter nursing school was discouraged by hospital leadership, Thomas, with her mother’s blessing, applied and was accepted at Ohio Valley General Hospital, later known as Ohio Valley Medical Center. In 1956, she became the first Black student ever enrolled in the School of Nursing at OVMC, and she became its first Black graduate in 1959.

She passed her state licensing exams with flying colors, was certified as an RN, and against all obstacles to the contrary, began to fulfill her calling as a nurse. Thomas worked at OVGH for 12 years, and then became an Ohio County school nurse in 1971, serving on all the school campuses at one time or another during her 30 years in health care. After her retirement in 2001, she continued to serve as a substitute nurse for both Ohio County Schools and Marshall County Schools for many more years.

Thomas also served on numerous boards and commissions, including those of the Wheeling YWCA, Ohio Valley Medical Center, Wheeling Health Right, BB&T Bank, Laughlin Memorial Chapel, Housing Connection, the Regional Economic Development Authority, the West Virginia Regional Health Science and Technology Academy, the West Virginia Women’s Commission, and the governing board of West Liberty University. She also was a dedicated patron, friend and supporter of the Wheeling-Ohio County Public Library and its programs, so much so that an annual memorial lecture series has been established at the library in her honor.

Thomas was married to Clyde Thomas in 1960, and they had two sons, Shawn (1961) and Scott (1965). Clyde Thomas was an all-American halfback at Ohio University, and a standout player for the Wheeling Ironmen semi-pro football team. Clyde was elected to the Wheeling City Council and served four terms, including a stint as vice-mayor.

Thomas was a role model and inspiration for Black youth in the community, but also for everyone. She was a pioneer and witness to history who, throughout her lifetime, overcame countless obstacles of racism and discrimination with strength, determination, optimism, humor, grit, and grace. She served her patients, colleagues, students, teachers, schools, and community, both professionally and as a volunteer, making Wheeling a better place to live in for people of all colors, abilities, faiths, and world-views. Thomas passed away February 22, 2019, having bravely battled cancer for many years while still maintaining her post-retirement service to her community.