Isabel Charles
Age - 97
December 1, 2023
Marie Isabel Charles, distinguished academic and trailblazer in higher education, passed away peacefully at Holy Cross Village in South Bend, IN, on November 26 at the age of 97. A devoted educator and administrator, Dr. Charles played a pivotal role for women in higher education, particularly in the realms of international studies and gender equality. Throughout her more than 60 years in education, Dr. Charles was guided by her Catholic faith and a deep love of family and a multitude of friends. Marie Isabel Charles was born on March 10, 1926, in Brooklyn, NY, the eldest of seven children born to the late Isabel (Roney) and James P. Charles. She was raised in Columbus, Ohio where she attended St. Mary of the Springs Academy and entered the Dominican Nuns in 1945, professing on August 14, 1946. As a Dominican sister, Dr. Charles began her teaching career in several Catholic schools throughout New York and Ohio and earned a BA in English and French from Manhattanville College in Riverdale, NY in 1956. Returning to Columbus in the late 1950's, Dr. Charles served in various roles at Ohio Dominican College. She earned her master's and doctoral degrees in English from the University of Notre Dame in 1960 and '65, respectively, and pursued postdoctoral studies at the University of Michigan's Center for the Study of Higher Education. In 1969, Dr. Charles was appointed executive vice president and academic dean at Ohio Dominican College, now Ohio Dominican University. When the opportunity arose to return to the University of Notre Dame in 1973 to become UND's assistant dean of the College of Arts and Letters just a year after undergraduate coeducation was introduced and at a time when less than 10% of the faculty was female, Charles was thrilled. She would go on to spend the rest of her life in South Bend. Notably, she was appointed the first female dean of any college in the history of the university in 1976 and served in the role until 1982. Dr. Charles received a dispensation from the Dominican community in 1975. In the 1980s, Dr. Charles assumed the role of Notre Dame's assistant provost and director of international studies, where her visionary leadership significantly expanded the university's global footprint. Under her stewardship, the number of study abroad programs grew from six to 16 with student participation growing accordingly, solidifying Notre Dame's reputation as a hub for international education. She retired from the role to emerita status in 1995. During her years as an administrator, Dr. Charles maintained her scholarly interest in the American novelist Willa Cather, on whose works she has written and lectured widely. Also among the subjects of her teaching and research were existentialism in modern literature and American fiction in the 19th and 20th centuries. Dr. Charles's tenure at Notre Dame was remarkable for the high academic standards she invariably maintained. The sometimes tough decisions she made throughout her career played an important role in spurring Notre Dame's growth as a major university. Her contributions to the school were widely acknowledged, including a gift to establish the Isabel Charles Endowment for Excellence in Music as well as her inclusion, in 2018, on the university's Wall of Honor. Established in 1999, the Wall of Honor recognizes "men and women whose contributions to Notre Dame have been lasting, pervasive, and profound. " Dr. Charles is survived by her beloved sisters Joanne (the late Richard) McGinnis, Sara (the late Eugene) Kennedy, and Patty (Burton) Went; and her adoring nieces and nephews Michelle (James) Moorehead, Michael (Leslie) Maya Charles, Jerome Charles, and James B. (Sarah) Charles; Richard (Roberto Passariello) McGinnis, Mary "Molly" McGinnis, Elizabeth Anne (Martin) Wallenhorst, James (Ana) McGinnis, and Susan McGinnis; Martin (Stephanie) Charles, Sarah (Timothy) Frank Fogarty, Moira (Gary) Morgan, Katy (David) Hudak and Caroline (Ronald) Joseph; Burton Went, Gregory Went, and Megan (Paul Sanchez) Cifarelli; Daniel (Mary) Charles, Timothy Charles, Kathleen (Joseph) Darpel, and Christine (Jeffrey) Stidham. She is also survived by many grand nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Isabel, and her dear brothers James Junior, William, and Peter.
A Mass of Christian burial will be held on Monday, December 4th, at 2:30 pm at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, University of Notre Dame, 101 Basilica Drive in Notre Dame, IN. For those who cannot attend, a livestream will be available at https://basilica. nd. edu/sacraments/funerals/funerals-livestream/. Viewers can press play approximately 5 minutes prior to the start of the funeral. Interment will immediately follow Mass at Cedar Grove Cemetery, Notre Dame Avenue and Holy Cross Drive in Notre Dame, IN. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Isabel Charles Endowment for Excellence in Music or the Isabel Charles Scholarship for International Study fund through the University of Notre Dame Department of Development
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