Macalester's Speech Department surrounds Mary Gwen Owen, center. See larger photo »

A true character
What I remember most about my days at Macalester was my association with the Drama Chorus, the theater productions and especially, Mary Gwen Owen. She was an inspiration to all of us and a true character in every sense of the word.
- Donna M. Hecker Blad

Owen's commandment
At drama chorus, Mary Gwen Owen would command, "Don't sit there on your smug fannies, you stiff-necked Presbyterians... PROJECT!!"
- Mary L. Hansen

Learning to speak clearly
Can any of the choral readers ever forget Mary Gwen Owen striding into the theater while having us repeat her words as she advanced to the front of the room? The clarity of her spoken word and what little she was able to pass on to me became my hallmark in international negotiations. The other side of the table could understand my English and that was not always true of my bureaucratic and political colleagues in Washington, D.C.
- Sally Horton Prill