First Woman President Remembered Fondly

Martha E. Church, November 17, 1930 - January 27, 2019

By Laurie Ward

President Emerita Martha E. Church, Ph.D., was selected as Hood’s first woman president in 1975, and became recognized as one of the 100 most effective college and university presidents in the nation.

Martha E. Church in 1990

During her tenure, the College confirmed its commitment to diversity, revised its curriculum, enhanced its academic reputation, instituted a nationally recognized Honors Program, and strengthened services for adult learners. She also led an expansion of the Hood Graduate School, and, through state-ofthe-art technology, established the Catherine Filene Shouse Career Center as a national model. In 2017, the College dedicated the Martha E. Church Center for Community and Civic Engagement in Downtown Frederick.

Under President Church’s leadership, Hood’s endowment grew from $2 million to $37 million, and several buildings were constructed, including the Beneficial-Hodson Library and Information Technology Center, the Hodson Science link, and the Joseph A. Pastore Facilities Center. A number of buildings also received extensive renovations.

On the cover of the winter 1994 issue of Hood Magazine

“As the first female president of Hood College, she paved the way for my own presidency. Martha was a tremendous leader, mentor and friend,” said President Andrea E. Chapdelaine, Ph.D. “It was an honor and privilege to get to know her and to rely on her wise counsel. It is a testament to her legacy that her well-being was one of the most frequent questions I was asked by alumni and others who knew her.”

President Church’s goal as leader of Hood was “to make Hood College and Frederick a center for women of all ages.”

“When I was still a teen, mourning the loss of my cat, Martha opened up her home to let me sit with her cat and just cry. That simple act of compassion has stuck with me all these years,” said Vivian Koch Laxton ’91. “Dr. Church showed a generation of women that glass ceilings were meant to be broken. Yes, she was a trailblazer. Yes, she was a visionary. But most importantly, Martha was approachable and kind. She will be missed.”

A graduate of Wellesley College, President Church earned her master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and her doctoral degree from the University of Chicago. She had been a college professor and dean, as well as an administrator of a higher education accrediting association, before coming to Hood.

At the Great Wall of China in 1983

“Along the road of life, there are certain people who have a substantial impact on you. Martha Church was one those people in my life,” said Ruth Ravitz Smith ’83. “Martha was a leader, a trailblazer and a kind soul. She always made me feel special, and I will forever be grateful for her service to my alma mater.”

In the winter 1994 issue of Hood Magazine, President Church remarked: “My hope is that I have left Hood stronger, more vibrant, more visible, so that it will gain the respect that it deserves.”

In 1995, she was awarded an honorary degree from Hood. In 2006, she was elected chair of the Hood College Board of Trustees; she was granted emeriti status upon her departure from the Board in 2009. ■