Margaret Elizabeth Meehan

June 28, 1921 - September 26, 2014

Margaret E. Meehan June 28, 1921-Sept. 26, 2014. Margaret E. Meehan died Friday, September 26, 2014 in Corvallis. She was 93. Margaret was born on June 28, 1921 in Brooklyn, New York to Mary and Felix Garbarini. In 1929, the family moved to Newark, New Jersey where Margaret and her younger sister, Elizabeth were educated in the state’s public school system. Margaret graduated from Rutgers University in 1948 with a B.A. degree in history, Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude. On scholarship as a teaching and research assistant, Margaret entered Rutgers’ two-year master’s program, earning an M.A. degree in American history and American government. In June1950, Margaret married Thomas R. Meehan, a fellow graduate student and World War II veteran. The couple moved to Princeton, New Jersey, where Thomas began his studies toward his doctorate degree at Princeton University and Margaret worked full time at the university’s library. On full scholarship, Thomas continued and completed his studies toward his PhD degree at the University of Wisconsin and Margaret again worked full time at Wisconsin’s university library. Thomas was appointed assistant professor in American history at the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie-Mellon) and Margaret accepted a position in the periodicals department of the University of Pittsburgh. In 1962, the couple moved to Corvallis, Oregon where Thomas joined the faculty of the Department of History at Oregon State University. Repeating the pattern of most of her working life, Margaret joined the staff of OSU’s library. Margaret was later appointed as a part-time faculty member of OSU’s Department of History and named director of the University Honors Program, a position she held until her retirement in 1986. Margaret was a phenomenal teacher and mentor who inspired her students to achieve the highest level of ethics, professionalism, excellence, enlightenment and uncompromising quality. She was both generous and exacting. Margaret and Thomas loved books and reading and collected approximately 8000 books, which Margaret recently donated to Oregon State University libraries. Margaret was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Thomas, in 2006, and her sister, Elizabeth, in 2013. Margaret did not want a public memorial service, but friends are encouraged to remember her in private gatherings to share memories and a toast to a remarkable woman. In 1991, Thomas and Margaret became members of the OSU Foundation William Jasper Kerr Society and this year became members of the James H. Jensen Society. Memorial contributions may be made to the OSU Foundation’s Margaret E and Thomas R. Meehan University Honors College Professorship, the Thomas and Margaret Meehan History Scholarship established by Ronald Hagen, the Thomas R. Meehan Excellence in Teaching Award, Chintimini Wildlife Refuge, SafeHaven Humane Society or any humane society dedicated to the protection and well being of animals.