Catherine McNamee Papers

Collection

Identifier: UA-03-A08

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection contains correspondence, publications, manuscripts, addresses, audiovisual materials, artifacts, and other papers related to Sister Catherine McNamee, eighth president of the College of St. Catherine. The bulk of the collection dates from McNamee’s time as president of the College of St. Catherine from 1979 to 1984, and includes materials related to her civic involvement as well as memberships in outside organizations. A major focus in the collection is material pertaining to observation of the 75th anniversary of the College, including documentation of a pilgrimage made by McNamee to the Monastery of St. Catherine in Egypt. Also of note is extensive planning and publicity material from the public relations office documenting McNamee’s activities and accomplishments as president of the College.

Dates

1967 - 2005
Majority of material found within 1979 - 1984

About Sister Catherine McNamee

Sister Catherine Thomas McNamee served as eighth president of the College of St. Catherine from 1979 to 1984.

McNamee was born Marilyn McNamee in Troy New York in 1931. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the College of St. Rose in Albany, New York, and went on to receive Masters’ degrees in elementary education (1955) and Spanish (1958) at Boston College, and a Ph.D. in Hispanic Literature from the University of Madrid (1967). Following her education, McNamee worked as a high school teacher and taught Spanish at the College of St. Rose, where went on to become the vice president of academic affairs. Previous to her appointment at St. Catherine she served as director of liberal arts and Edison College at New Jersey State College, and President at Trinity College in Vermont.

During McNamee’s tenure as president, the College of St. Catherine saw declining enrollment due to changing demographics and cutbacks in government student aid. Despite painful budget cuts, McNamee was successful in guiding curricular and program restructuring and an $80,000 capital campaign. These efforts resulted in financial stability for the college and the building of its first computer lab, as well as a new weekend college, growth of its economics and business administration departments, an increase in the number of adult and part-time students, and increased diversity in the student body as a whole.

As a leader, McNamee advocated for social justice, peace, and increased access to leadership and professional development for women through her programming initiatives at the College as well as in speeches, newspaper editorials, and her work on various boards of directors in business and nonprofit institutions. Originally a member of the Albany Province of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, McNamee was the first president of St. Catherine to come from outside the St. Paul Province. Early in her presidency, she oversaw events and programming in celebration of the College’s 75th anniversary in 1980. As part of this observance, McNamee initiated a pilgrimage to the Monastery of St. Catherine of Alexandria in Egypt, the oldest existing Christian monastery in the world. On the trip, which took place in the spring of 1980, she was accompanied by Minneapolis Tribune travel editor Catherine Watson. The pilgrimage resulted in extensive press coverage and a rich cultural exchange between the college and the monastery.

Following her resignation from the presidency in 1984, McNamee took a position as Dean of Dexter Hanley College in Pennsylvania. She went on the become President of the National Catholic Education Association (1986-1996) and to work as an educator in Chile. McNamee currently lives in St. Paul, Minnesota and belongs to the St. Paul Province of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.