Mary McLaughlin Hill ’58
Written by her husband, Alexander (Sandy) Hill ’57.
Many classmates will remember Mary, a native of Austin, for her great wit and her Highland Dance! She was at Macalester her first and second year, before transferring to the University of Missouri and then back to the University of Minnesota to pursue her studies in Journalism.
Although at Mac as a student for just two years, she returned to the College in 1966 as the first woman admissions counselor, traveling the nation. After a few years of travel, mostly by automobile and frequently in the midst of major snow storms, she then worked in the Office of Public Relations and in 1972 assumed responsibility for grant writing in the Development Office, writing proposals for federal, state and private grants for the college.
In May 1979 she received Macalester’s Thomas Jefferson Award. President John B. Davis praised her for working “creatively and unstintingly with students, faculty and staff…She expresses in her life and work an inner strength and courage which is a support to us all.”
Prior to her work at Macalester Mary was a reporter with the St. Cloud Times and as an editor of corporate publications for the St. Paul Companies, Northwestern National Life Insurance Co. and Lutheran Brotherhood.
The highlight of her life was in 1975, when she and her husband Alexander (Sandy) Hill’57 adopted 12-year old Lee Song Ho (Peter) from Korea. Sadly she died from melanoma in 1979 and did not live to see the wonderful accomplishments of Peter — his graduation from Macalester in 1985, his marriage, his two children, and his successful career in international business. Peter and his family now live in Shanghai.