“He told me he thought I’d be a good English teacher,” says Timmons. “It was a brief, simple comment, and I’m not sure I’ve ever lived up to his ideals perfectly. But that small comment gave me such confidence.”
Welchel, former professor and chair of the college’s Teacher Education Program, died on March 9. He retired in 2021 after 21 years of service.
“Dr. Welchel was the most important person in my professional life,” says Timmons, Wofford’s student publications manager and an English teacher at Chapman High School. “He encouraged and supported my development as a student and as a teacher.”
Welchel was a graduate of Spartanburg High School and the University of South Carolina, where he earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. He taught at Dorman, Woodruff and Boiling Springs high schools in Spartanburg County and at Wilson High School in Florence before coming to Wofford.
Dr. Timothy Schmitz, interim provost, says Welchel enjoyed working with future teachers and preparing them to teach future generations.
“He wrote several books about learning, teaching and the United States education system,” says Schmitz. “His 2009 book, ‘Reading, Learning, Teaching Howard Zinn,’ combined his deep interests in both education and U.S. history.”
Christie Johnson ’95, senior instructor of education, worked with Welchel for nine years. She says he made a lasting impact on every student he taught.
“Teaching was so much more than a job to him,” Johnson says. “It was his greatest passion. He loved having discussions with his students and creating relationships with all of them. He was more than a colleague to me; he was also a very dear friend. He is sorely missed in the education department.”