Donor Profile: Marguerite Kane '60
Professor Emerita Marguerite Kane ’60, who retired from the College in 2014, became a member of The 1947 Society with the establishment of a planned gift through her estate.
To say Merrimack is lodged deep in the heart of Professor Emerita Marguerite Kane ’60 would be a significant understatement. A native of Lawrence, Mass., Kane did not initially have her sights set on Merrimack for college. The allure of more high-profile schools — including Wellesley and Radcliffe — was strong, yet a scholarship and the promise of a car for commuting (from her father) won the day.
She has never regretted her college choice.
A major in political science with a minor in education prepared Kane for what she thought would be her next step in life — graduate school followed by government work in foreign service, national security or treasury. Upon completion of her master’s degree at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, it was the influence of beloved Merrimack teachers Professor James St. Germain and Father Albert Clement Shannon, O.S.A., that brought Kane back to Merrimack to teach political science.
She never left until her retirement in 2014 — and one could say she still hasn’t left as she remains an active participant in the community and has made significant gifts to the College supporting Pioneer Scholars as well as other special programs. Now, Kane is becoming a member of The 1947 Society with the establishment of a planned gift through her estate.
“Merrimack, still to this day, emphasizes the individual. Our Augustinian roots include the gift of hospitality and the gift of community. We had 181 in our 1960 graduating class and everyone knew everyone. The campus was small and the first dormitories weren’t built until 1960. Most everyone commuted yet our humble roots as a college grew deep throughout the 50+ years that I taught here,” Kane states.
Kane’s greatest satisfaction in teaching was, “watching students catch fire,” she says. “For those who needed an extra push or encouragement, I tried to help them see the possibilities. For those who were very focused on their path, I just tried to get out of their way. And sometimes I felt like a jeweler, just polishing the diamonds in the rough,” she concludes.
Having engaged with every leader in Merrimack’s history, starting with Rev. Vincent A. McQuade, O.S.A. through current President Christopher Hopey, Ph.D., Kane has experienced the growth and influence from Merrimack’s humble beginnings as a local college to its increased role as a regional powerhouse. She sees the vision, scope and diversity expanding along with the College’s centers of excellence headed toward national recognition in the near future.
Kane’s planned gift will help local students experience all that Merrimack has to offer as they prepare for excellence in their professions and communities. “We have done a great deal to help students see the possibilities by encouraging participation in Truman, Wilson, Marshall and Rhodes competitions that recognize the best of the best in this country’s higher education landscape. And we do it sticking to our mission to enlighten minds, engage hearts and empower lives — of all students.
“I’ve always been proud of Merrimack and the education I received as well as the education offered to students today. I’m glad that my legacy will live on beyond my teaching years through my planned gift supporting the students of Merrimack College,” Kane concludes.
For more information, contact us at 978-837-5176 or giving@merrimack.edu.
