The Deborah Morton Society celebrated 50 years of awarding “exceptional women” on September 20, and pledged support for new graduates.
Celebrating 50 years of awarding “exceptional women”, on Tuesday September 20 the Deborah Morton society pledged to support recent graduates, as one honouree asked those attending to remember how “naive” they were leaving university at 21 years old.
The annual awards ceremony took place in Portland, Maine, headed by the chairwoman of the University of New England’s Deborah Morton Society, Bridget Healy. The University of New England has been named one of best regional universities in America by US News And World Report.
Honourees included Mayor Gail Kelly, known for her fundraising efforts for MS research and Vietnam veteran Donna Loring, for helping to pass a law regarding teaching Native American history and culture in Maine Schools.
The awards are named after teacher and historian Deborah Morton, valedictorian of the class of 1879 in Westbrook College, which later merged with the University of New England in Maine.
She worked at Westbrook College for more than 60 years, and the award honours women like her who have achieved “high distinction” in their careers and public service, and their work is “exceptional”.
The first award was given in 1961 and since then 185 women have been honoured. In 1973 Westbrook College gained gender equality status after being an all-female college for 48 years.
Lynn Kraemer Goldfarb was the first woman to be Vice President at Central Maine Power Co, and was among the honourees at the ceremony for her work at NYSE and voluntary work with the American Heart Association.
Ms Goldfarb spoke to the women at the ceremony, urging them to help recent graduates to “pass our life experiences on to today’s young people”, as their knowledge could help them to pursue successful careers.
By Bethan Hâf Marsh
[Image courtesy of University of New England]
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