Distinguished Alumni Award

Sr. Eleanor Spring has been closely connected with the Elms from her time as a student through much of her professional career. She was a full-time faculty member in the 1970's, a part-time faculty member at other times and a trustee of the college from 1998 through 2009. She served on the recent search committee for the Vice President of Student Affairs. Sr. Eleanor is also the class agent for her class of 1963, and is invited to the donor-scholar reception each spring to represent the class of '63 scholarship.

In 2006, Sr. Eleanor received the Mary Killeen Bennett Human Service Worker Award from the Elms in recognition of her work with Weston Rehabilitation Associates. That same year she received the "Dream, Believe, Achieve: Pathways to Success Award" from Bill Cosby. The YWCA honored her with its "Women of Achievement" award in 1993, when she was a program manager of the women's unit at the Hampden County House of Correction.

Sr. Eleanor's career path has centered on using her training in education and psychology in the service of others, particularly the marginalized in our society. During the year after her graduation from the Elms, Sr. Eleanor taught eighth grade in the Springfield Public School System. In the following year she joined the Sisters of St. Joseph. Sr. Eleanor taught psychology in the Education Department at the Elms starting in 1973. She completed her Ph.D. in psychology from Fordham University in 1978. She was a member of the order's executive council for eight years during and after her time on the Elms faculty. She then went to work for the Hampden County Sheriff's Department in the female offender program to provide services to Hampden County women incarcerated at Framingham State Prison. This became the springboard for the ministry that has been her central focus for the past 19 years.

Sr. Eleanor has been the co-director of Weston Rehabilitation Associates since 1992. The organization, founded by her and Sr. Shirley Campbell, provides employment and comprehensive rehabilitation services for women as they leave incarceration and are in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction. The program, based at Mont Marie in Holyoke, began with assembly work subcontracted from local manufacturers and has grown to include custom screened-printed, embroidered or appliquéd apparel and accessories. The program serves about 20 women annually, most coming from the Chicopee women's correctional facility. The Weston program provides services that are comprehensive enough for long enough duration to effect positive outcomes in the lives of the participants. In short, Sr. Eleanor has been a principled and creative bearer of the Elms tradition of service throughout her professional life.

Mary Ellen is a retired guidance director from the Springfield Public Schools. She worked at the High School of Commerce in Springfield for 36 years, initially as a Spanish teacher and later as a guidance counselor. During her tenure, she served as chair of the Department of Foreign Languages, and later as chair of the Guidance Department.

As a guidance counselor, she worked diligently to assist students in their college applications, and was dedicated to helping them obtain local, regional, and statewide financial aid sources. Her commitment and assistance resulted in significant scholarship awards for highly qualified and financially needy students at Commerce.

As a student at the Elms, Mary Ellen had a Spanish major with a minor in English and education. She went on to earn a master's of education at Westfield State College and a master's of teaching at American International College. During her career, she worked with local and state professional organizations both in foreign language and guidance.

Mary Ellen has been active in her support of the Elms. She served for several years as president of the Pioneer Valley Chapter of the Elms Alumni Association; served as a member of the Alumni Association board of directors; and worked with the Institutional Advancement Office in 2006 to identify and recruit the first class agents, and then served as co-chair of the Annual Fund from 2007-2009. She has also been an Elms phonathon volunteer, and an alumni mentor for Career Day.

She is president of the board of directors of Weston Rehabilitation Center for Women in Springfield, sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph. She serves on the scholarship committee of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, and on the Edward Boland Scholarship Committee.

Mary Ellen is a member of Sacred Heart Church in Springfield. She is a devoted sister, aunt, great aunt, and cousin to her immediate and extended family, and is close to many friends, Elms friends, former colleagues, and community friends.

Mary Ellen Long Franz, Elms College class of 1954, received the 2009 Elms College Distinguished Alumni Award, given annually to a graduate who has distinguished herself or himself through unusual service to profession, community, family, or religious life.

Mary Ellen was a teacher for 29 years, with 24 years spent in the Springfield public schools.

She was a member of the Alumni Board at the Elms, and is a class agent for the class of 1954. She is a member of the Irish Cultural Center (ICC) at Elms College, and has volunteered at several ICC events.

She is an active member of Our Lady of Hope Church in Springfield, where she has served as a CCD teacher, den mother, chaperon for youth programs, and Eucharistic minister for nursing home patients from the parish. She was chair of the group that formed the First Parish Council at Our Lady of Hope, and was a member of the Spiritual Life Commission of that council. She is also a member of the Liturgical Commission for the Springfield Diocese.

Mary Ellen is very active as a vocalist, and serves as choir director at Our Lady of Hope, as well as a cantor at St. Michael's Cathedral in Springfield, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Springfield, and St. Mary's in Wells, Maine. She is also a member of the Springfield Symphony Chorus, the Diocesan Choir, the Greater Westfield Choral Association, St. Mary's Choir in Westfield, Schola Cantorum, an a Camella group which performs at many local churches, and the Do Re Mi's, a senior citizen group which sings at hospitals, nursing homes, and senior centers.

Mary Ellen has been married for 53 years to Edward J. Franz, and they have five children and seven grandchildren.

Mary Ellen composed quite a humorous thank you for her award, which her fellow alums from the Class of '54 will especially enjoy:

Another View

The Elmite professors are debating in heaven.

Sister Antonella wears a frown on her face:
"Were there no other plausible candidates
To run in this 'distinguished' alumna race?"

Sister Ann Cecelia took time from her greenskeeping
To stand up and break into a shout:
"We better be thinking of going right down.
Someone needs to straighten this out."

Sister Mary Chrisistom sat down with her spreadsheet:
"What kind of statistics did they bother to use?
Two hours with her in class - three times a week
Could almost be considered some kind of abuse."

Sr. Helen Claire looked on in dismay:
"Who was in charge of voting down there?
How did she manage to make it so far?
Quel horror, C'est domage, C'est la guerre."

Sr. James Mary is quietly smiling:
"Would we ever have guessed in our day
That this one, this one, would set out to prove
There are miracles happening each day?"

Sr. Mary Eugene, in dignity standing,
Suddenly laughs and remembers once more
The antics, the singing of answers on tests.
Thank God there was only one Class of '54.

Thanks to them all for the pain they endured;
For their patience, their love, and their care.
I only wish they could be here in person
To accept this award that they share.

Margaret R. Scanlon graduated from the College of Our Lady of the Elms in 1952, and received a master's degree in education here in 1966. She was a kindergarten teacher for 40 years in the Springfield public schools from 1952 to 1992, and then was an adjunct professor at Springfield College for 10 more years. She retired in 2002, but she continues to supervise student teachers in the classroom.

She served as president of the Association for Childhood Education from 1965-66, and president of the Springfield Teachers Club from 1962-63 and again from 1988-2000. She is currently on their board of directors.

Ms. Scanlon was president of the Catholic Woman's Club of Springfield for two terms, from 1998-2000 and 2004-2006, and is currently on their board of directors. She belongs to Holy Cross Church in Springfield, where she serves as a Eucharistic minister, home visitor, and is on the outreach to the poor committee.

She has been a volunteer at Elms in the Office of Institutional Advancement since 1992.

Mary Ann Durso was executive director and vice president of family services for Habitat for Humanity of Collier County, Florida. She received a B.S. degree in biology from Elms College and attended the Harvard University Business School Affordable Housing Leadership Conference. As full time volunteers, she and her husband enabled the productivity of the Collier County Habitat affiliate to go from building 20 houses a year in 1996 to 125 homes in 2007. This accomplishment placed the affiliate as the top producing Habitat in the United States. In March of 2007, Habitat built the 1,000th home in Collier County.

In 1992 Mary Ann became a certified Guardian ad Litem. Three years later in 1995 she was recognized by the Florida State Supreme Court as the outstanding Guardian ad Litem of the Twentieth Judicial Circuit. She served as a member of the initial Advisory Board of Collier County Guardian ad Litem.

In 2000-2001 Mary Ann was a part of the Greater Naples Leadership Class V, Masters Program. In 2003 Mary Ann received the Robert C. Cosgrove Award, and in 2004 was awarded the Parke Wright III Distinguished Leader Award for her service to Habitat for Humanity. In 2005 she was named one of N Magazine's Women of Style.

Still, with all this work experience and service to the community, Mary Ann listed her greatest achievement as raising her five children, followed by helping thousands of people in Collier County move out of substandard housing and into simple, decent homes of their own. Her greatest inspiration was any child in need.

Mary Ann Durso was married to her husband Sam for 41 years. She died May 29, 2008.

Anabel Padilla Casey ’54 is retired from a long career in Catholic education, spent mostly in Puerto Rico. Most recently, she was an educational consultant in sales of service to the Department of Public Instruction in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, having retired in 1995.

Dr. Casey, a native of Ponce, Puerto Rico, earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and education from the College of Our Lady of the Elms in 1954, and went on to earn a master’s in education from the Interamerican University in Puerto Rico in 1974, and a Ph.D. in educational administration at Boston College in 1989. She served as dean of students and associate dean of the School of Education at Boston College from 1988 to 1992, and currently resides in Framingham, Massachusetts.

During her career, she also served as interim secretary for education for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and superintendent of 107 Catholic Schools in the archdiocese of San Juan (where she was the first lay woman to be named to that position). In her tenure there she initiated and directed the publication of a Spanish language religion textbook series (K-12) that is used throughout the Catholic school system in Puerto Rico and in areas of the United States with large Hispanic student populations.

Before becoming an administrator, Dr. Casey was a teacher of English and science in Puerto Rico in grades K-12 from 1954 to 1972, and principal of the Academia Nuestra Senora de la Providencia in Rio Piedras from 1972 to 1977.

Ruth Healy Buckley '51 has had a long career working with the elderly and community programs. She is currently the special services coordinator at the Allegheny County Library Association in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In that capacity, she works with 44 libraries and various community agencies constructing, implementing and managing innovative library programs designed to improve the quality of life for older adults.

Following her graduation from Elms College in 1951, Ms. Buckley earned advanced degrees and certification in counseling and management of lifelong learning from Bridgewater State College, Duquesne University, and Harvard University.

Ms. Buckley taught elementary, junior high and high schools; worked at Carlow College as director of adult admissions; the Allegheny Department of Aging, where she assisted older adults in community living; and as executive director of Ursuline Center, Inc., a non-profit agency for community service for older adults.

She is currently a volunteer at Highmark, Inc., where she conducts training seminars for the AARP Bereavement Outreach Program.

Katherine (Katie) Clark LaCarrubba graduated from Elms College in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in social work with minors in sociology and history. She has been a preschool teacher in Old Bridge, New Jersey since 2001.

Prior to that, she was director of the Passionist Volunteers in South River, New Jersey, a program of direct service and Christian living community. In that position, she did everything from developing summer activity camps for children in the Appalachian Mountains, staffed food pantries, provided adult literacy training, and developed a music program.

Katie was a guest speaker at numerous national conferences and youth retreats, focusing on walking as companions with others in need, and embracing the role as laity within the church.

She also worked as education coordinator for military personnel at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, New York; manager of business relations for Junior Achievement in New York City; caseworker for foster care and adoption at the Catholic Home Bureau in New York City; caseworker for homeless, fire victims, and military for the American Red Cross in New York City; and was a staff associate in the social concerns office of the Passionist Community in Union City, New Jersey.

Katie received the Outstanding Young Women's Award in 1979, and the Loyal and Dedicated Service Award from the Passionist Community in 2001.

Carolyn O. Connelly, Elms College class of '60, was a teacher in the Springfield Public Schools, and in the Title I and Head Start programs.

After raising her family, she devoted herself to volunteer work for several organizations, especially Elms College, where she was founding co-chair of the Alumnae Telethon and National Alumni Chair of the Endowment Fund.

She was a board member of the Carew Hill Girls Club, a corporator, trustee, and chair of fund development for the Sisters of Providence Health Care System, an original member of the Sisters of Providence Foundation Board, and past director, vice-president and treasurer of the Catholic Woman's Club of Springfield.

She attained the rank of Lady Grand Cross in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

She is wife of attorney Robert F. Connelly, and mother of Rev. Christopher D. Connelly and attorney Daniel J. Connelly.

Lorraine Kelly Young, Class of '56, was former executive director of the Bank of New Haven, where she worked for 20 years. She was involved with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, St. Raphael Hospital Foundation, New Haven Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Life Haven.

Carol Iovanna, class of 1974, was a news anchor and show host with the Fox News Channel since 1996. For news viewers in the New York Metropolitan area, hers was a household name whose professionalism, sincerity, and integrity made her one of the most respected and popular journalists working in TV.

In her career with WCBS-TV: New York, WABC-TV: New York, WTNH, New Haven, Connecticut; and The Satellite News Channel, she covered such stories as the first World Trade Center bombings, the return of Terry Anderson from captivity, the funeral of Jackie Onassis, the death of Lisa Steinberg at the hands of her abusive father, and the Baby M case which broke ground on the issue of surrogate parenting. As an anchor, she broke the news of John F. Kennedy Jr.'s missing flight, and the death of Mother Theresa. She was also the anchor on call for the very long and sad Sunday following the news of Princess Diana's death.

In addition to her news credits, Carol also proved to be an insightful interviewer of writers, performers, and other celebrities. She received an Emmy Award for reporting; the Ellis Island Medal of Honor; the Seton Hall School of Law Peter W. Rodino Public Service Award; and the Coalition of Italo-American Association's Leadership Award.

Sheila Keator, Elms College class of 1959, has been managing director of Wachovia Securities, and was senior vice president of investment at First Albany Corporation, a member of First Albany's director advisory council and First Albany's President's Club, a group of the firm's most valued financial consultants.

She served as treasurer for the Massachusetts State College Building Authority, a corporator of the Lenox Savings Bank and the Massachusetts College of the Liberal Arts, a board member of the Albany/Berkshire Ballet, and was on the Springfield Diocesan Finance Council.

Upon graduation from the Elms, she was the first alumna to embark on the Lay Apostolate, which was the precursor to the Peace Corps.

She has been a trustee of Elms College. She was one of four sisters to graduate from the Elms, and her husband and two daughters received graduate degrees here. Her sister Anne E. Nesbit '43 received the Distinguished Alumna Award in 1981.

Professor Emerita, Communication Sciences and Disorders

1958-1978 Faculty. During her teaching tenure at Elms College Marion participated in the development of the Speech and Drama Department from its modest beginnings to the eventual establishment of the Communication Disorders Program. The Department was in full compliance with the certification requirements of the Massachusetts Department of Education, defined in 1972 as the Bartley-Daley Act, Chapter 766 and subsequently with those of 1973 Federal legislation known as the Rehabilitation Act, Title 94-143. At that time, Communication Disorders was the accepted terminology of the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) , the professional accrediting agency in the field. This Program has since evolved into the Elms highly regarded and flourishing concentration in Communication Sciences and Disorders.

1937 and 1939 Graduate Studies, Mount Holyoke College Summer School of Speech. 1942, MA in Speech Pathology, Emerson College.

1940-1942 President of the Alumnae Association of the College of Our Lady of the Elms, included participation in the social and fund-raising activities of the then existing Chapters in Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton, Pittsfield and Worcester. The highlight of this period was the establishment of a the Boston Chapter. With the single exception of one member of the Charter Class of 1932, all others were alumna of either the Academy or the Normal School.

1941-1946 Holyoke, Mass. School Department. In 1941 she established and conducted one of the earliest public school speech correction programs in Massachusetts.

1938-1940 President of the Holyoke Chapter, COLE

1938-1939 Teacher of Adult Alien Education, Holyoke School Department

1937 BA, COLE During each of her four years she served as a Class officer, was twice elected president of the Drama Club, a member of the Debating team and performed in College productions of Richelieu, Cyranno De Bergerac, The Cradle Song and Pilate's Daughter.

When the Award was conferred Marion said. "With a happy and humble heart I gratefully accept this recognition from you who have accomplished so much more than I and most of all, I thank the Sisters of Saint Joseph whose vision, values and scholarship have helped us to become who we are. The merits of our efforts are our tribute to them. "

Ellen Moore Reardon '56 majored in chemistry at the Elms, and was named to Delta Epsilon Sigma. In 1979, she earned a master of science degree in microbiology at Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey, and in 1982, she earned a Ph.D. there.

She was a faculty member and coordinator of teaching laboratories in the Department of Biological Science at Rutgers. She was associate editor of Plant Molecular Biology Reporter, and an executive associate for the Commission on Plant Gene Nomenclature, International Society for Plant Molecular Biology.

In 1996, she received a grant from the National Science Foundation to continue her work in plant gene nomenclature. In 1997 she took part in the first international congress of plant molecular biology in Singapore.

She was a post doctoral research associate at the University of Arizona, Tucson, and at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Earlier in her career, Ellen was a research assistant with Johnson & Johnson Company and with Waksman Institute at Rutgers University.

She presented and published numerous papers and chapters in scholarly works.

"I was blessed to get off to a good start at the Elms; after all, having Sister Margaret James, Sister Nora Harrington, Dr. Gadaire, and Mr. O'Herron was enough to start anyone asking the right questions - particularly for a scientist - 'what would happen if?'" she said. "We budding scientists with our late afternoon labs were really quite annoyed by the education majors reading Little Golden Books in the library or having time to visit the metropolis of beautiful downtown Chicopee, while we tried to remember the ionization constant of water or learned how to replace the plug on a vacuum cleaner.

"What we did not appreciate at the time, and learned upon maturing, is just how valuable it is to be flexible: if you can't do an exercise one way, try it another way. If you don't have a piece of specialized glassware, what can be used instead? These were , and continue to be, important lessons that can be applied to all sorts of situations that life throws at you.

"I remember the enduring friendships made at the Elms, and forty-some years later, still hold these women dear. I remember the satisfaction of knowing my employers always felt that my education furthered their goals. And I will never forget the values that were instilled in me at the Elms which I am privileged to share with my own children and with my students."

Eleanor Dooley s.s.j., faculty emerita. Professor of French literature and language, Latin, religious studies, and Theology. Sister Eleanor remains active, teaching spirituality to deacon candidates, and ecclesiastical Latin to Elms students and Holy Name eighth graders.

Sr. Mary Ellen (Rose Philippine) Quilty was born in Springfield on March 3, 1916, graduated from Elms College in 1938, and earned a master's degree in ancient history from Catholic University in Washington DC.

She was received in 1943 into the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in Cornwells Heights, Pennsylvania, a missionary community dedicated exclusively to work among Indians and blacks in the United States.

She was stationed at the Navajo Reservation in northeastern Arizona, serving as mother superior of the Catholic mission school there.

Sister Quilty died on April 15, 2009.

A native of Worcester, Margaret Bowen Diggins '51 earned a master's degree in psychology and counseling from Assumption College, and was certified as a language tutor by Massachusetts General Hospital.

She was an instructor and visiting lecturer in the Department of Education at Worcester State College, a tutor of dyslexic children, and a classroom teacher.

From 1979 to 1989, she was owner and manager of Diggins Travel in Worcester.

She was chair of the Commission for Women of the Diocese of Worcester for 10 years, a columnist for the Catholic Free Press in Worcester, and on the advisory board for the Massachusetts Conference of Catholic Bishops. She was a Eucharistic minister, lector, and chaplain of the women's club at Christ the King Parish in Mashpee, and a CCD teacher and president of the Women's Guild at St. Mary's Parish in Jefferson.

She was a trustee of Elms College for seven years, and president of the Worcester chapter of the Elms Alumnae Association.

Sr. Margaret James was a faculty member in the Elms College Department of Biology for more than 50 years.

Joan Williston Hall '51 was a master science teacher at the middle school/junior high school level, teaching for many years at Summit Country Day School in Cincinnati, Ohio, a private independent Catholic school founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1890.

She conducted workshops for teachers; served on evaluation teams for the Independent School Association of the Central States; wrote for the National Association of Science Teachers Journal, and held leadership roles in the National Science Teachers Association.

She helped form an industry-education consortium in Cincinnati to train teachers in the use of the Chemical Education for Public Understanding program, and to supply them with class materials.

Joan received the Merrell Dow Award for Excellence in Science in 1990, the Governor's Award for Providing Youth Science Opportunities in 1989, 90, and 91; and the Krecker School Award for the Southwest Ohio District for outstanding school science department in 1993. She was a finalist for the 1993 presidential award for recognition as the outstanding teacher of science in Ohio.

She served as organist and music minister in her parishes for nearly 40 years.

"I am most honored to be the recipient of the Distinguished Alumna Award," she wrote. "I will receive it for all the Elms graduates who have dedicated themselves to education, and pray that the day will come when all of our children receive an equal and equitable education.

"Because all of my students are young women, helping them learn and enjoy science is especially rewarding. There are no gender inequities in my classroom. In fact, a recent study completed by our strategic planning committee indicated that the girls' performance in science continues to improve as they go on to high school and college. Many take higher level science courses and excel in college science programs. My students have become successful professional women - doctors, research scientists, and engineers."

Joan's husband, James L. Hall, is professor emeritus of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. They are parents of three: James Hall, an electrical engineer; Mary Hall, a lawyer; and Joan Hall, a psychologist.

Valedictorian of her class, Sr. Helen Benard '32 was always a teacher-scholar.

She earned a master's degree from Boston University and taught in public, private, and Catholic schools.

For almost two decades, she inspired young ssj novices at Mont Marie.

She was principal at St. Mary's in Longmeadow and a faculty member at Cathedral High School in Springfield.

In her college career, Theresa Marie Amiot '47 stood out as a student, graduating as valedictorian of her class. She was editor of both the Tourmaline and the Elmata.

As a faculty member, the Art Department was her creation, the reredos in the chapel are her conception, and the Borgia Gallery was her brainchild.

She designed the medal for the distinguished alumna award and the nurses' emblem and pin.

The class of 1985 said this about her in their yearbook:

"Kind words, gentle yet precise criticism, and a genuine excitement with her student's creations made her a joy to study with."

Dr. Johnnella E. Butler '68 was chairman of the Afro-American Studies Department at Smith College from 1974 to 1988, and then director of Afro-American Studies and chairman of the American Ethnic Studies Department at the University of Washington in Seattle.

She earned a doctoral degree in education at UMass-Amherst, and a master of arts in teaching from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. At the Elms, she majored in English with a minor in Spanish literature and music.

She served as an Elms trustee from 1984 to 1988, and was the honors convocation speaker in 1982. She was scheduled to be commencement speaker in 1993, but was forced to cancel due to illness, and was replaced at the last minute by Sister Eleanor Dooley.

She had been co-director of the Ford Foundation Women's Studies Evaluation Grant, serving as principal investigator based at the Washington Center for Undergraduate Education of a statewide curriculum infusion project. From 1989 to 1992, she was co-director and co-principal investigator for Ford to evaluate the Ford curriculum integration project for the incorporation of women of color into introductory and core courses at 11 major universities.

She was a member of the Executive Council for the National Association of Ethnic Studies, and was active in the National Women's Studies Task Force on Women's Studies Majors, conducted by the Association of American Colleges.

Dr. Butler is the author of Black Studies: Pedagogy and Revolution, a Study of the Teaching of Afro-American Literature in the Liberal Arts Curriculum, and Transforming the Curriculum: Ethnic Studies and Women's Studies, published in 1991.

Her sister, Rebecca Butler Dawkins, is a 1961 graduate of the Elms.

A native of Chicopee, Sr. Evelyn R. Brault, SASV '46 worked for three years with New England Telephone Company in Springfield after her graduation from the Elms, and then taught for a year at Putnam Catholic Academy in Connecticut before joining the Sisters of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in 1950.

She went on to earn a master's degree in linguistics from Georgetown University Graduate School in Washington DC. After completing her novitiate at Nicolet, Quebec, in 1953, she taught at Sacred Heart High School in Laconia, New Hampshire and at Maria Assumpta Academy in Petersham, Massachusetts.

From 1956-1985, she served as educator and missionary in Japan, where was involved in the opening of the first Catholic high school in Saitama Prefecture in 1966. She served as the first principal there from 1967 to 1970.

From 1970 to 1981, she was president of Aomori Ake-no-Hoshi Junior College. She was instrumental in setting up a sister school relationship between the junior college and Ohio Dominican College in Columbus, Ohio with student and teacher exchange programs.

During her years in Japan, she served as regional councilor and provincial councilor, formation director and local superior in the Japanese province. She was the first elected delegate from the Japanese province of her congregation to the general Chapter in Quebec in 1980, and in 1985, she was an invited delegate from the US province to the general chapter.

She became the Provincial Superior to the U.S. province of the Sisters of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in 1985. She took a sabbatical in 1981-1982 in biblical literature at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, with a fall term of on-site study in Greece, Israel, and Egypt.

Sheila Conlon Mentkowski '72 was a staff attorney at the National Center for Law and the Deaf on the Gallaudet University Campus in Washington DC.

After graduation from the Elms in 1972, she earned a master's degree in education of the hearing impaired at Gallaudet, and taught at the American School for the Deaf in Hartford and the Willie Ross School for the Deaf in Longmeadow. She went on to earn a law degree at Georgetown University.

She was chair of the Maryland Governor's Commission on the hearing impaired, a board member of Deaf Women United, and was the Gallaudet College representative to the World Federation of the Deaf Congress in Italy, where she made a presentation on legal rights of the hearing impaired in the United States.

She has made presentations to the Federal Communications Commission, the National Deaf Women's Conference and the New England Teachers of the Deaf Conference.

She is the author of "Legal Rights of the Hearing Impaired," "I am a deaf lawyer," and "Legal Corner," a monthly feature on Deaf Mosaic Cable TV of Gallaudet University.

Kathleen M. Riordan '67 was supervisor of foreign languages in the Springfield public schools.

She received a master's degree from Assumption College, and a doctorate in language at UMass.

She was president of the Massachusetts Foreign Language Association, and a founder of the Language Collaborative for teachers in western Massachusetts.

She was a member of the parish council, school board, and a Eucharistic minister at Sacred Heart Church in Springfield.

Joan McCarthy Ryan '51 was a member of the Elms board of trustees, a director at StageWest, a director of Gray House, a member of the Catholic Women's Club, the Forest Park Civic Association, and a member of the Mercy Hospital Guild.

She tutored at the Hampden County Jail. She was an active member of the Holy Name Parish in Springfield.

She was wife of former mayor of Springfield, Charles Ryan. She was the mother of 11, and four of her daughters are graduates of the Elms.

The youngest alumna ever to receive this award, Regina Noonan Hitchery '71 received a bachelor's degree in English at Elms College and went on to earn a master's degree in Anglo-Irish studies. She was personnel manager at United Technologies Pratt and Whitney in Florida, director of industrial relations at United Technologies' Hartford office; and vice president for human resources at Sikorsy Aircraft.

After graduating from Elms College, Mary Elizabeth McCarthy '44 attended Middlebury Spanish School and earned a master's degree at Springfield College. She taught languages in Maryland, Connecticut, and the Springfield public schools.

She was an active member of Holy Cross Parish in Springfield where she was a Eucharistic minister and a member of the Spiritual Life Commission.

She tutored young adults at the Puerto Rican Community Center, and volunteered at the Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen.

Sr. Kathleen Keating '52 earned a bachelor's degree in history at the Elms before joining the Sisters of Saint Joseph, and earned a master's degree from Villanova University and a doctorate from Fordham University.

She taught secondary school for 11 years, and was on the faculty at Elms College for nine years.

She was elected a member of her congregations' executive board, and served as chair of the National Assembly of Women Religious. She was a member of the National Women's Task Force of the Consultation on Church Union.

She was elected president of the SSJ in 1979, and unanimously reelected in 1983, and elected chair of Region I of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious.

She served as president of Elms College from 1994 to 2001.

After graduation from the Elms, Mary Lou Burke '57 attended the Mercy Hospital School of Medical Technology and became the first nuclear medical technologist in the state.

She worked as a hematologist and teaching supervisor at Mercy Hospital from 1957 to 1966.

From 1966 to 1973, she worked at Hycel Inc in Houston, Texas as director of professional consultation, manager of quality control, and director of education.

In 1973, she became manager of technical services for the biomedical division of Instrumentation Laboratory Inc of Lexington.

She was president of the Elms College Alumnae Association for two terms.

Anne Nesbit, class of 1943, was recognized many times as a superior teacher of science.

She authored a sex education program that gained national attention called Learning about Myself and Others, in which parents are the principal teachers.

She also taught for the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine at St. Mary's in Pittsfield, and was also choir director and director of the Catholic Charities Appeal there.

She served as president of the Berkshire chapter of the Elms College Alumnae Association.

Jeanne M. Bourque '48 taught school in Springfield, earned a master's degree in mathematics, and joined Pratt and Whitney Corporation in the early world of computer technology. She rose through the ranks to project analyst, and was the only woman in that management position at the time. She served as president of the general alumnae association of Elms College for two terms, and was a trustee of the college.

Sr. Mary Dooley ssj '44 spent 18 years teaching on the secondary school level, and completed her doctoral studies at the Sorbonne, University of Paris.

She taught at the Elms and served as chair of the Modern Language Department here.

In 1971 she was elected by the SSJ to be president and reelected in 1975. She led her congregation to respond to the directives of Vatican II.

In 1977, she was elected president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, a Vatican-sponsored organization representing the leaders of 700 congregations and their 130,000 members.

She represented religious leaders to the second Inter-American Congress in Bogotá, Colombia in 1975, the third in Montreal in 1978, and the fourth in Rio de Janeiro in 1981.

She was one of 25 U.S. delegates selected by President Carter to the coronation of Pope John Paul I, and for Pope John Paul II.

She attended briefings at the White House at the invitation of President Carter on the energy situation and the SALT II agreement.

She was one of 150 national leaders selected to participate in a think tank at the University of Notre Dame in 1979 considering vital issues confronting society.

She pursued a second doctoral program in the School of Theology at Dubuque, Iowa, but left to become sixth president of Elms College - and was the first alumna to occupy this position.

Kathleen Kennedy Mullins '53 co-founded (with her husband) the Ludlow chapter of the Massachusetts Citizens for Life, and she established the Children's Language Institute of Ludlow for language impaired children.

Sister Nora Harrington, class of 1942, touched the lives of several generations of students, faculty, and staff at the College of Our Lady of the Elms over 55 years, as a faculty member, dormitory proctor, and college administrator.

She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in 1939, and earned a B.S. in chemistry at Elms College in 1944. From 1944 to 1950, she taught at St. Joseph's Central Catholic High School in Pittsfield, and that was the only time in her career when she was away from Elms College.

Sr. Nora taught chemistry and physics at Elms College from 1950 to 1982, and was chair of Chemistry Department for five years. She  earned an M.S. degree in chemistry at Fordham University in New York City in 1960.

For the 26 years from 1950 to 1976, she was the residence head at Beaven Hall and O'Leary Hall at the Elms. She became faculty member in residence at O'Leary Hall from 1976 to 2003, and then moved to St. Mary's Hall on campus.

From 1973 to 1979, she served as academic dean at the college, and then became executive vice president and assistant to the president. She went on to earn a doctorate in higher education at Nova University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1990.

She had been advisor to the Alumnae Association since 1971 until her death in 2005.

The Elms College yearbook was dedicated to Sister Nora in 1980, and in 1998 she received the Via Veritatis Medal.

Since 1982, there has been an annual chemistry lecture at Elms College in her name, which was created as a tribute for her years of dedication to the college. In addition, she was listed in first edition of The World Who's Who of Women in Education and in Who's Who of American Women.

Barbara Garvey taught in the History Department at Cathedral High School, and was a city councilor in Springfield.

Gertrude Footit Britton '39 was manager of the Open Window Book and Gift Shop of the Springfield Diocese, a lector at Holy Cross Church in Holyoke, and a member of the Holy Cross Parish Council, Holy Cross Women's Guild, Marian Retreat League, and the women's division of the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce. She was the mother of eight children, and three of her daughters are Elms graduates.

Mary McDonough '33 was by profession an executive secretary. In addition, she served as board member of the corporation of the Open Door Book Shop, president of the Catholic Junior League, and president of her high school alumnae association. She was a charter member of the Diocesan Executive Board of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, a member of the Parish Council, initiator in the parish of discussion groups and the Apostolate of the Confined, and she organized the clerical work for the annual charity drive. She was an Elms College trustee and president of the Alumnae Association.

For many years, Sister Jeanne F. Brault '50 (Sr. Christopher Mary) taught church history and mariology at the Novitiate of the Sisters of Providence, and was supervisor of volunteer services for the Massachusetts Association for the Blind in Springfield.

Ann Martin Gibbons '48 went on from the Elms to earn a master's degree in chemistry from Clark University, and then a J.D. degree from Western New England School of Law. She was appointed to the bench in 1978.

She taught at Regis College and Springfield Technical High School. She worked as a lawyer, was city solicitor in Holyoke, treasurer of the Hampden County Bar Association, and as a judge in Massachusetts courts.

While serving as a judge in Ware District Court, she implemented a new prototype for handling domestic violence through prevention and education.

In 1993, Governor William Weld appointed her to his commission on domestic violence.

She presented educational programs for new district court judges in Massachusetts, and conducted workshops on recognizing and coping with judicial stress for judges and their families.

She was a faculty member of the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada. She also served as district director of the National Association of Women Judges, and on the Governors' select committee on judicial reform, and on several committees focusing on judicial education.

Ann presented the commencement address and received an honorary degree at Elms College's 1994 graduation.

She and her husband, Attorney Leonard E. Gibbons, have four children: Attorney Mary Gibbons, Lt. Edward Gibbons, Dr. John Gibbons, and Leonard Gibbons, a teacher.

Her sister, Mary Martin Walsh, graduated from Elms College in 1949.

Sister James Mary Foley graduated from the Elms Normal School and went on to receive her B.A. here in 1942. She taught in the Northampton school system for nine years, and then entered the Sisters of St. Joseph.

She went on to earn a master's degree in English from Fordham University, and also studied at Boston University, Western Reserve, and Yale University.

She served as head of the English Department and taught English at Elms, taught German, was director of public relations, advisor for Tourmaline and Elmscript, and coordinator of the Alumnae Association.

Gertrude M. Griffin ‘20N '38C earned a master's degree in education at Springfield College, and did additional graduate work at Mount Holyoke and Smith Colleges.

She pioneered as General Alumnae President from 1931 to 1939, and helped establish alumnae association chapters in Springfield, Holyoke, Pittsfield, Worcester, and Northampton. She served as chair of the committee that drew up the first bylaws for the Alumnae Association and its individual chapters. She served again as vice president in 1952, and as general chair of the silver jubilee year celebration in 1952.

She taught English and music at Morgan Junior High School in Holyoke starting in 1923, and joined the Holyoke High School faculty as an English teacher in 1940. She was also Dean of Girls at Holyoke High School starting in 1954.

She taught CCD, was one of the founders of Holyoke Catholic Players, past president and member of St. Barbara's Holyoke Day Nursery Circle, past president of the Holyoke Speakers Club, historian of the Holyoke Women's Club, and scholarship chair of the National Council of Catholic Women.

Flora Millette's major work was with girls and young women in conflict with the law. First as a police officer, then as probation officer, and then as assistant chief probation office of the District Court of Springfield, she showed a compassionate and enlightened sense of responsibility in the service of her fellow man.

She received her master's degree in guidance from Springfield College, where she was a member of the faculty in the Department of Continuing Education. She was also a guest lecturer at the Elms, Springfield College, and American International College in sociology, criminology, and delinquency.

She taught CCD at Our Lady of Hope parish, and was a panel member or lecturer to many local civic, religious, and education groups as a public service related to work with children.

She co-authored a manual of guidelines for juvenile probation and police officers for Massachusetts. She was a member of the advisory committee and treasurer of the Massachusetts Probation Association, a member of the board and chairman of the Massachusetts Council of Probation Officers for Juveniles, secretary of the New England Regional Group of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, and vice chair of the advisory committee of the Mercy Hospital School of Nursing.

She was a member of the social work advisory board, and the board of directors of the Elms Alumnae Association, and served as president, treasurer, Springfield chapter president, chair of the alumnae scholarship trustees, and chair of chapters.

She received the first Elms College Victoria Joseph Award for Service to Children in 1999. The award honors Attorney Victoria Joseph of the Department of Legal and Paralegal Studies for her service to children throughout her career.

When the United States issued its first official appeal to the women of the nation during World War I, Mary Kingsbury Millea '13 enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve in Boston. She was attached to the first naval district, Charlestown Navy Yard in the District Disbursing Office.

In its June 1946 issue, she was interviewed in the Elms Alumnae Association magazine, the Elmanac, and said that there was no separate branch of the service for women at the time, and no commissions were granted to women during WWI, the highest rating obtainable being petty officer.

She was a veteran of WWI, and a member of the National Yeoman Organization.

Go to Profile

Go to Profile

Go to Profile