School of Divinity. Office of the Dean. Gail R. O'Day Records
The Gail R. O'Day Records document the work of O'Day as dean of WFU's School of Divinity. O'Day joined the School of Divinity as Dean in 2010. She led the faculty and staff to expand and deepen not only the School's communal identity but also its identity as a cutting-edge theological school. Materials in this collection include letters regarding her appointment, email regarding her departure, obituaries, and other related articles.
Biographical and Historical Note
Gail R. O'Day was born on December 2, 1954, in Muhlenberg, New Jersey. She attended Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, New York, and went on to attain her Bachelor of Arts from Brown University, Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Preaching from Emory University. In 1983, O'Day accepted a position in New Testament and Preaching at Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves, MO. She then returned to Emory University in 1987, teaching in the Candler School of Theology and the Graduate Division of Religion.
In 2010, O'Day became the Dean of the Wake Forest University School of Divinity, the second after inaugural dean Bill Leonard. During her time as Dean, O'Day led the faculty and staff to expand and deepen the School's communal identity and its goal to be a cutting-edge theological school. Since 2010, the School revised its curriculum to have a more interdisciplinary approach to the Master of Divinity degree, among other changes. O'Day's vision led to the development of two successful professional development programs: Clergy Making a Place: Early Career Pastors as Generative Community Leaders, and the Food, Health, and Ecological Well-Being Program. Before stepping down as Dean in April 2018, she was honored by the establishment of the Gail R. O'Day Beloved Community Fund. O'Day passed away on September 22, 2018.
Collection Overview
These records document the work of Gail R. O'Day at WFU's School of Divinity. Materials in this collection include letters regarding her appointment, emails regarding her departure, obituaries, and other related articles.
Administrative Information
- Publication Information
- Processed by Sayeda Islam, 2018 December
- Revision Description
- Revised by Ashelee Gerald Hill, 2019 September
- Revision Description
- Revised by Chloe Patz, 2023
- Access Restrictions
- This collection is open for use.
- Copyright Notice
- The nature of the WFU Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Archives and Special Collections of ZSR Library claims only physical ownership of most materials. The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to the U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
- Preferred Citation
- School of Divinity. Office of the Dean. Gail R. O'Day Records (RG46.0.2), Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.