Jim Welsh retired in May 2017, ending a 37-year era at Gustavus. Here is a small excerpt from the speech Laura Triplett gave at his retirement dinner:
“Indeed, the entire Welshian is defined by Jim’s passionate commitment to the student experience and camaraderie, a fierce belief in the value of the earth sciences, and a dedication to taking care of students and colleagues in this place. We are happy to report that the Welshian Eon is not yet entirely ended, as Jim has indicated he may continue to help lead fieldtrips and thus continue his legacy of instilling memories and geological wisdom in the next generation of geologists. Thank you Jim – as Mark Johnson wrote to me, “That the Geology Department is strong is thanks to Jim Welsh.”
You can read another piece about him here.