THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF UNION IN THE COUNTY OF UNION WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE DR. MARGARET MARY MCMENAMIN FOR BEING NAMED GRAND MARSHAL OF THE 19TH ANNUAL UNION COUNTY ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE. THE PARADE WILL TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2015 AND REPRESENTS THE SENSE OF PRIDE AND DEDICATION THAT CITIZENS OF IRISH HERITAGE SHOW IN THEIR CULTURAL ACTIVITIES..
DR. MCMENAMIN IS THE PRESIDENT OF UNION COUNTY COLLEGE, THE 1ST OF NEW JERSEY’S 19 COMMUNITY COLLEGES, FOUNDED IN 1933. SHE WAS BORN IN NEW YORK CITY, THE THIRD OF SIX CHILDREN BORN TO HUGH A. MCMENAMIN AND ELIZABETH MCMENAMIN. HER FATHER HUGH, IS DECEASED AND SHE NOW RESIDES WITH HER MOTHER, ELIZABETH.
DR. MCMENAMIN TRACES HER FAMILY’S HISTORY TO THE FARMLANDS OF IRELAND, TO COUNTIES SLIGO, MAYO AND DONEGAL, AND ANCESTORS NAMED O’DONNELL, SHOVLIN, CONAGHAN, MCGINLEY, MAHON, FERRY, FINEN, JENNINGS, MCFADYEN, LARKIN, AND MCMENAMIN. THEIR DESCENDANTS SAILED TO AMERICA IN THE 1800’S, SEARCHING FOR A BETTER LIFE, AND SETTLED IN NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. THEY LIVED IN PLACES LIKE SERANTON, SOUTH HEBERTON, FREELAND, AND JEDDO. THEY WORKED IN MINES AND RAILROADS AND REARED LOVING FAMILIES. THE COURAGE AND TENACITY OF THESE MEN AND WOMEN, COUPLED WITH THEIR APPRECIATION FOR THE VALUE OF EDUCATION, ENABLED AND INSPIRED THEIR PROGENY TO PURSUE HIGHER EDUCATION IN PHILADELPHIA, NEW YORK, NEW HAVEN, TORONTO, ROME AND SOUTH BEND, INDIANA. THEY SERVED OUR COUNTRY, AND FLOURISHED IN DENTISTRY, PHARMACY, BUSINESS LAW, JOURNALISM, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, COMEDY, SOCIAL WORK, RELIGIOUS LIFE, AND OF COURSE, EDUCATION.
DR. MCMENAMIN’S EXTENDED FAMILY INCLUDES AT LEAST A DOZEN GIFTED EDUCATORS WHO HAVE TAUGHT EVERYWHERE FROM WILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA AND NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, TO THE SUBURBS OF BOSTON AND THE FBI ACADEMY IN QUANTICO, VIRGINIA. MORE THAN A FEW OF THOSE EDUCATORS, DEVOUT CATHOLICS, OFFERED THEIR GIFTS TO THE CHURCH. FOUR OF DR. MCMENAMIN’S AUNTS TAUGHT SCHOOL AS MEMBERS OF THE RELIGIOUS SISTERS OF MERCY AND THE SISTERS, SERVANTS OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY. HER UNCLE, A MEMBER OF THE RELIGIOUS ORDER OF PASSIONIST PRIESTS, LECTURED WIDELY. HER GREAT GREAT UNCLE WAS MONSIGNOR HUGH L. MCMENAMIN, THE RECTOR OF THE CATHEDRAL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION IN DENVER, COLORADO.
DR. MCMENAMIN’S MOTHER, ELIZABETH MCMENAMIN, A 1938 GRADUATE OF BARNARD COLLEGE IN NEW YORK, WRITER, GRANDMOTHER, AND UNOFFICIAL “PREZ-MUM” OF UNION COUNTY COLLEGE, TAUGHT HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH. PERHAPS THE ONLY NON-TEACHER IN THE ENTIRE FAMILY WAS DR. MCMENAMIN’S FATHER, HUGH A. MCMENAMIN, WHO ONCE BOASTED, “I COULDN’T TEACH A KID TO LICK A LOLLIPOP.” HE TAUGHT DR. MCMENAMIN AND HER SIBLINGS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS OF ALL: THE MEANING OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. HE WAS A WORLD WAR II ARMY VETERAN AND A CIVIL SERVANT WITH THE US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, WHO RETIRED FROM FORT MONMOUTH IN THE EARLY 1980’S. HE LIVES ON IN THE HEART OF EVERYONE WHO KNEW HIM.
DR. MCMENAMIN GREW UP IN OCEAN COUNTY, ATTENDED TEMPLE UNIVERSITY AND GRADUATED CUM LAUDE WITH A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN PHYSICAL THERAPY. SHE EARNED A MASTER OF SCIENCE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON AND A DOCTORATE IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP FROM LEHIGH UNIVERSITY. DR. MCMENAMIN HAS SERVED AS AN ADJUNCT PROFESSOR OF EDUCATION AT ROWAN UNIVERSITY AND IS A COMMISSIONER FOR THE MIDDLE STATES COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION. SHE IS A MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES’ PRESIDENT’S ACADEMY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION FOR THE HISPANIC ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, THE NATIONAL JUNIOR COLLEGE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION BOARD, AND THE TEMPLE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS BOARD OF VISITORS.
DR. MCMENAMIN IS INVOLVED WITH NUMEROUS COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THE BOARDS OF TRINITAS HOSPITAL, UNION COUNTY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, UCEDC, EDC, UNION COUNTY CRIME STOPPERS, UNION COUNTY WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD, AND UNION COUNTY ALLIANCE.