Welch’s seven-figure planned gift to endow a scholarship will ultimately support a significant number of nursing students.
From peanut farmer at age 7 to advisor to multiple Georgia governors, Dr. H. Oliver Welch (52H, 56c) exemplifies what can happen when work ethic, perseverance and purpose are invigorated by the transformative power of education. Today, his generous support of Berry’s nursing program honors the school’s role in his success as well as the beloved memory of his two late wives, both named Patricia.
Adversity and resilience
Growing up in rural Georgia, Welch was loaned two acres of land by his dad on which to plant peanuts, yielding seed money that became a savings account for the future. His dad also instilled in him a belief that he could accomplish anything and conviction that he should always fulfill his responsibilities.
By age 9, Welch had taken those lessons to heart, holding down three jobs to build his savings: delivering newspapers, setting up pins at a bowling alley and delivering groceries, all while attending grammar school.
Those experiences shaped his appreciation for hard work and pointed him toward the Mount Berry School for Boys and later Berry College.
He completed high school at Berry before attending the college for three years, pursuing a business degree and the love of a co-ed named Patricia Ann Gailey (57c), whom he married at the close of his junior year. The newlyweds vowed that they would continue their respective educations (Welch completed his bachelor’s degree through the Atlanta division of the University of Georgia), intending to grow their family after both had earned doctorates. Sadly, that dream was not to be realized as Patricia died in a 1964 automobile accident that left Welch wounded in both body and spirit.
Eventually, he picked up the pieces and devoted himself to completing master’s and doctoral degrees in business administration from Georgia State University and a juris doctorate from Woodrow Wilson College of Law. In time, love again blossomed in his heart, and a second Patricia (Tate) became his bride. A nurse by training, she would see Welch through three life-threatening illnesses before passing away in 2017.
Achievement and service
With professional designations in urban planning, accounting, law, real estate and the financial industry, Welch built a career as diverse as it was distinguished, beginning in the lecture halls of Georgia State University as a young assistant professor teaching business classes.
Although he returned to the classroom in the late 1990s teaching graduate-level business courses at Georgia Tech, Welch’s career focus shifted when he became involved in government service in his home state, holding such groundbreaking roles as director of planning and director of the Office of Community Affairs, both of which were firsts for Georgia.
The Berry alum played a key role in the 1962 election of Carl Sanders as Georgia governor, proudly noting that Sanders “helped change the South” during his term. Welch also earned the trust of several subsequent holders of that office, among them Jimmy Carter, who with Welch’s assistance won the presidency in 1976.
Still not done, Welch founded his own wealth management firm and co-authored the first book on the history of financial planning while maintaining his steadfast devotion to civic life through service and leadership in organizations too numerous to mention. Select examples include the Northwest Council of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, for which he was president; the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce; the Buckhead Business Association; and the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, which he chaired. In 2009, he received the Berry Alumni Council’s Distinguished Achievement Award.
Enduring impact
In gratitude for the journey Berry set in motion and in memory of his late wives, Welch remains a passionate advocate and generous supporter of the college and its students. Recently, he committed a seven-figure planned gift to endow a scholarship that ultimately will support a significant number of nursing students.
“Berry is the root of my life,” he reflected. “It gave me the foundation to grow, and I want to help others do the same.”
To learn more about the many different ways you can support Berry students through scholarships and other types of giving, please contact Scott Breithaupt (91C, 96G) at sbreithaupt@berry.edu or 706-346-0049.
