MacLaughlan Scholarship Creates an Educational Legacy at GLCF
Lowell, MA – Strong family values – especially education – are underlying factors in the newly created Prof. John J. and Marian MacLaughlan Scholarship Fund. The legacy fund was established at the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) in their honor by their children John, Kevin, Jim, Betsy, and Dave.
If you tallied the years of the MacLaughlan family’s classroom teaching and student guidance, it would be well over 200 years of service in the Greater Lowell educational institutions of Lowell Textile School (now UMass Lowell), Lowell High, Chelmsford High, Greater Lowell Technical High and the Immaculate Conception School.
Three generations of MacLaughlans caught the educational bug with all family members becoming college graduates from the Lowell Normal School, Holy Cross, Boston College, Boston University, Mount Wachusett Community College, Northern Essex Community College, Salem State and Merrimack College. The next generation of the MacLaughlan clan followed suit with 12 nieces and nephews all becoming college graduates in the fields of education, law, finance, accounting, business, and law enforcement to name a few.
“My college education in business administration was completed in five years for $1,000 at $100 per semester,” shared Jim MacLaughlin, LHS’ Class of 1962, who taught at Lowell High and saw first-hand how financial aid did not cover college costs. “Today’s students work hard to maintain a GPA and a scholarship like our parents’ can lighten the financial burden of what school will cost them. My parents gave us the opportunity to become who we are today. They would hope this scholarship does the same for the awardee.”
Sports run deep in the MacLaughlan family. Dad John ’27 was a member at Longmeadow Country Club; John ’57 was golf captain at Merrimack College and the golf coach at Chelmsford High; Dave was Athletic Director at the ‘Voke,’ and is still coaching baseball; Kevin played Lowell State College baseball, and Jim played college baseball at Salem State and is a member of Longmeadow.
Betsy MacLaughlan Shanley ’64 graduated from Castleton Secretarial School, became an executive secretary and continues to play tennis. She believes her parents would be so pleased and humbled by this scholarship, “Mom and Dad would encourage the student to use it wisely.” Betsy’s sons Tom ’90 and Andrew ’91 received Lowell High scholarships.
These family values shaped the Professor John J. and Marian MacLaughlan Scholarship which will focus on financial need and sports. The first scholarship will be awarded at the Lowell High School Honors Night on Tuesday, May 21.
GLCF provides opportunities to create a fund to establish your own charitable legacy. To learn more about funds at GLCF, contact Jay Linnehan or to learn more about creating your own LHS Legacy Scholarship contact Barbara Dunsford at 978-970-1600 or info@glcfoundation.org.
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PHOTO CAPTION: Marian and Professor John MacLaughlan, front row, and in the back row: sons Jim and Dave MacLaughlan. The MacLaughlan Family recently established an LHS Legacy Scholarship through the Greater Lowell Community Foundation. (Courtesy photo from June 30, 1988)
