Sisters of Providence welcome Dr. Dottie King as 16th SMWC president

Sister Denise Wilkinson gives remarks at the installation of Dr. Dottie King. Photo provided by The Woods staff member Nancy Hernandez. Used with permission.

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College celebrated the appointment of Dr. Dottie King as the 16th president Friday during an installation ceremony and other events.

Greetings and words of wisdom were offered during the installation ceremony by honored guests, including the student body, alumnae/i, civic leaders, national college leaders and the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

Sisters of Providence General Superior Sister Denise Wilkinson offered her greetings on behalf of the Congregation. In her remarks, Sister Denise said, “We extend to you our friendship, our support and our enthusiasm for the mission of the College and for all its students, staff, faculty, administrators and alumnae. You can always count on our continuing prayer for you – that Providence will encourage and sustain you in this challenging ministry. You may be sure that Saint Mother Theodore will be attentive to you and loving you ‘as only your old Mother Theodore can.'”

Dr. Dottie King (left) and Sister Denise Wilkinson process into the Church of the Immaculate Conception during a Liturgy celebrating the installation. Photo provided by The Woods staff member Nancy Hernandez. Used with permission.

Several Sisters of Providence participated in the events of the day, including faculty member Sister Ellen Cunningham, who gave the benediction, and former SMWC presidents Sisters Jeanne Knoerle and Barbara Doherty.

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College was founded in July 1841 by Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, less than one year after the sisters arrived from France. The school was granted the first charter for the higher education of women in Indiana in 1846. It is the oldest Catholic liberal arts college for women in the United States.

The college and the Sisters of Providence motherhouse are both located at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Until 1953, the Congregation’s general superior was also the college president. The first 13 presidents of the college were Sisters of Providence. Currently, Sisters of Providence serve on the Board of Trustees, the National Alumnae Board of Directors and on the faculty at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.

See more photos from the day in the SMWC Flickr collection. Read more, including Dr. King’s inaugural address, on the SMWC Inaguration of Dottie L. King, Ph.D. web page.