The Indelible Mark of Saint Mary’s

In April 2025, Duane Dorsay found himself on Interstate 90, just outside of Notre Dame, Indiana for work, when a message from his son serendipitously beckoned him to visit Saint Mary’s. “Hey! You’re right where your mom went to school!”

So Duane visited campus to see the place his mother Betty Ann Ames Dorsay ’55 speaks of so proudly. The place his mother attended came alive before his eyes. In many ways, Betty’s Saint Mary’s story was as much her children’s as it was hers. 

Betty Ames was born on March 27, 1931. She grew up Catholic in a poor, working-class family in Lancaster, Ohio. Experiencing the lingering effects of the Great Depression, Betty’s parents sent her to live with a relative, and she spent her childhood working and saving money so that she might someday afford college. After high school, Betty attended Mount Carmel School of Nursing, a Sisters of the Holy Cross institution located in Columbus, Ohio, where she received her Diploma in Nursing. At the time, it was common to receive an RN without a bachelor's degree, but to attain certain management and leadership roles, Betty would need to acquire a bachelor’s degree. Subsequently, the nuns at Mt. Carmel urged her to attend Saint Mary’s; they even let the program know to keep their eye out for her application.

The then-22-year-old Betty arrived at Saint Mary's on a working scholarship; she balanced her rigorous academics with two part-time jobs: school nurse by day, evening nurse by night, often picking up 3 – 11 p.m. shifts at Memorial Hospital in downtown South Bend. This arrangement supported her payments for tuition, room, and board.

A few nights a week, after finishing her evening shift at Memorial, Betty would take a taxi back to campus. Arriving home close to midnight, she’d find the Dean of Women—Sister M. Sophia (Winifred Morris ’30), CSC— waiting with the light on: “She’d wait up for me in an office in the dorm, ready to unlock the front door when my taxi dropped me off. Sister Sophia knew I needed that job because it would help me stay at Saint Mary’s.”

Reflecting on her time as a school nurse, she remembers treating common injuries, such as tennis-court head bumps. “The girls would try and jump over the net; I’d often ride in the ambulance with the students to the hospital whenever possible.” Though busy, Betty found time to enjoy herself, attending mixers with Notre Dame students and Sunday afternoon tea dances.

When life got in the way of school, Saint Mary’s was accommodating. Taking a temporary leave of absence to care for her father when he required surgery, Betty returned a year later to complete her Bachelor of Science in Nursing with the Class of 1955.

The year after graduation, Betty learned of a European trip being planned by other students. Deciding to do something for herself, Betty borrowed $1,000 from the local bank: “My colleague took me down the street, and stood up for me as I made my request to take out a loan.” Betty and her peers sailed on an Italian liner, docking in Portugal. From there, the group traveled to Spain for late-night dinners, then over land to parts of Italy, Rome, and France. “It was such a reward to take a trip like that,” said Betty. A highlight of the trip was seeing the Pope Pius XII.

Betty’s Saint Mary’s experience was, as her children will tell you, “life-enriching and soul-strengthening.” In 1956, Betty moved to Philadelphia to work at Einstein Hospital as head nurse. She met her husband—Theodore “Ted” Dorsay—and they married in 1957. “We met by chance while swimming at the YWCA pool. He was an electrical engineer from Brooklyn, New York, and it was fast. But it was right.” At 26, Betty was ready for the next step. They raised six children while she continued her successful career as a nurse. Theodore entered eternal life in 2008.

Today, Betty lives in her home in New Jersey, where her neighbors and children ensure Betty stays connected and supported. Come rain or shine, each morning Betty rises to feed the birds, wild ducks, and squirrels. In the evenings, bookending her morning ritual, Betty goes back out with food for the animals of the night (possums, skunks, raccoons, and homeless cats), many of which she keeps a special report with; in fact, they skunks do not spray her, the possums don’t play dead, and the raccoons don’t scatter. They sit and wait, and when the time comes, “The animals come running!” This interaction keeps Betty moving and mindful of the graces and gifts God has bestowed on her throughout her life, often saying, “I am trusting in the Lord, and I talk to Him all the time. When I walk out to feed the birds in the morning, I’m talking with God. When I walk out to feed the critters in the evening, I’m talking with God. I don’t feel alone because I have God with me looking over my shoulder.” 

Although Betty has not returned to Saint Mary’s since her graduation, the College left an indelible mark on her life, and on her entire family. While her six children are now scattered across the country, they grew up witnessing the profound and lasting effects of their mother’s Saint Mary’s education. As her son Duane puts it, “Mother has always spoken glowingly of the College, and believes she was nurtured beautifully. She is so proud to be an alumna.”

March 25, 2026