Donovan Retires from Radcliffe

By Anne-Marie Seltzer
Special to the Gazette

Louise E. Donovan, secretary of Radcliffe College and clerk of the board of trustees, retired last month after 36 years of service. On June 5, the Radcliffe Board of Trustees conferred on her the titles Secretary of the College Emerita and Clerk of the Board of Trustees Emerita.

"Louise Donovan has been a shining presence in Fay House," said Radcliffe College President Linda S. Wilson. "She has preserved the past, recorded the present, and, by so doing, has helped to shape the future of the College. Lou has handled with crisp aplomb endless questions of protocol and has been an unfailing source of knowledge about College history and tradition. She is the memory of this institution personified."

"Lou Donovan has been an ever-present embodiment of warmth and graciousness in Fay House, a welcoming spirit, a center for any and all trustee business. I've always appreciated her unwavering professionalism and confident support," said Nancy-Beth Gordon Sheerr, Radcliffe board chairman since 1990. "She has set the standard for the offices she has held."

A native of Adams, Mass., Donovan graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Mount Holyoke College with a degree in history of art. She came to Radcliffe after working at the Worcester Art Museum and the New England Conservatory of Music. After serving as secretary and then assistant to the president, Donovan was appointed secretary of the College in 1976. She has been clerk of the board of trustees since 1961.

During her tenure at Radcliffe, Donovan has worked for three presidents and four board chairmen. "The biggest challenge to the person filling this dual role is to earn and to merit the confidence of the two leaders of the College, and, while serving them, to make an independent contribution to the work of the institution," she said. "During this long period, Radcliffe and the world have changed greatly. So, while nominally filling the same post, I have had a different job decade by decade. The position of secretary of the College was not explicitly defined in 1976; it has evolved in interesting ways."

As the years passed, Donovan was able to become a resource for her colleagues, which was a rewarding part of her job. She adds, "Working with the trustees has brought me into contact with a wonderful succession of fascinating people to whom I feel very close. Getting to know them and their worlds has been enriching."

Donovan says her immediate plans include travel, gardening, reading, and practicing the piano. By fall, she expects to explore new pursuits.