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updated information regarding The Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund - known as Margaret McNamara Education Grants since 2015
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{{Short description|American educator and nonprofite executive; wife of Robert McNamara (1915–1981)}}
{{distinguish|Margaret Craig}}
{{distinguish|Margaret Craig}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| image = Photograph of Senator Kennedy at the Citizenship Day Ceremony at the National Archives (35462880612).jpg
| image =
| caption = Margaret McNamara with [[Ted Kennedy]]
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_name = Margaret Craig
| birth_name = Margaret Craig
| birth_date = {{birth date|1915|8|22}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1915|8|22}}
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| death_date = {{death date and age|1981|2|3|1915|8|22}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1981|2|3|1915|8|22}}
| death_place = [[Washington, D.C.]], U.S.
| death_place = [[Washington, D.C.]], U.S.
| resting_place = ashes scattered near [[Snowmass Village, Colorado]], U.S.
| death_cause = [[Cancer]]
| resting_place = [[Arlington National Cemetery]], [[Arlington, Virginia]], U.S.
| resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} -->
| resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} -->
| known_for = Founder of [[Reading is Fundamental]]
| known_for = Founder of [[Reading is Fundamental]]
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| occupation = [[Teacher]]
| occupation = [[Teacher]]
| years_active =
| years_active =
| home_town =
| boards =
| boards =
⚫
| spouse = {{Marriage|[[Robert McNamara]]|1940}}
| religion =
⚫
| spouse = [[Robert Strange McNamara]]<br/>(1940 - 1981; her death)
| partner =
| partner =
| children = 3
| children = 3, including [[Craig McNamara]]
| parents =
| parents =
| relations =
| relations =
| awards = [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] (1981)
| awards = [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] (1981)
}}
}}
'''Margaret Craig McNamara''' (August 22, 1915 – February 3, 1981) was the founder of the nonprofit children's literacy organization [[Reading is Fundamental]] and the wife of the [[United States Secretary of Defense]] [[Robert S. McNamara]].
'''Margaret Craig McNamara''' (August 22, 1915 – February 3, 1981) was the founder of the nonprofit children's literacy organization [[Reading is Fundamental]] and the wife of the [[United States Secretary of Defense]] [[Robert McNamara]].


==Life and work==
==Life and work==
McNamara was born on August 22, 1915 in [[Spokane, Washington]], but she grew up in [[Alameda, California|Alameda]], California.<ref>[http://www.mmmf-grants.org/margaret-mcnamara-story.html Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund]</ref>
McNamara was born on August 22, 1915, in [[Spokane, Washington]], and grew up in [[Alameda, California|Alameda]], [[California]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hailey |first=Jean R. |date=1981-02-04 |title=Margaret McNamara Dies |language=en-US |work=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1981/02/04/margaret-mcnamara-dies/1f68a9fb-c6ef-421e-9451-25da6a35fb06/ |access-date=2023-12-27 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>


McNamara attended [[University of California, Berkeley]], where she met [[Robert McNamara]], whom she would marry on August 13, 1940.<ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/robert-mcnamara-secretary-of-defense-excoriated-for-his-part-in-leading-america-into-the-vietnam-war-1734442.html Robert McNamara: Secretary of Defense excoriated for his part in leading America into the Vietnam War], a July 7, 2009, obituary from ''[[The Independent]]''.</ref> Her husband's appointment by President [[John F. Kennedy]] as [[United States Secretary of Defense|U.S. Secretary of Defense]] led to their move to [[Washington, D.C.]]. Her experiences while tutoring had three children in the District led to the formation of [[Reading is Fundamental]] (RIF), a nonprofit children's literacy organization dedicated to making reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life. It is the largest literacy program in the country.
McNamara attended [[University of California, Berkeley]], where she met [[Robert McNamara]], whom she would marry on August 13, 1940.<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/robert-mcnamara-secretary-of-defense-excoriated-for-his-part-in-leading-america-into-the-vietnam-war-1734442.html Robert McNamara: Secretary of Defense excoriated for his part in leading America into the Vietnam War], a July 7, 2009, obituary from ''[[The Independent]]''.</ref> Her husband's appointment by President [[John F. Kennedy]] as [[United States Secretary of Defense|U.S. Secretary of Defense]] led to their move to [[Washington, D.C.]] Her experiences while tutoring three children in the District led to the formation of [[Reading Is Fundamental]] (RIF), a nonprofit children's literacy organization dedicated to making reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life. It is the largest literacy program in the country.


On January 16, 1981, [[President of the United States|President]] [[Jimmy Carter]] awarded McNamara the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom|Medal of Freedom]] for her work with RIF. She died of [[cancer]] eighteen days later, at the age of 65.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1981/02/04/obituaries/margaret-mcnamara-65-is-dead-began-children-s-reading-program.html Margaret Craig McNamara, 65, is Dead; Began Children's Reading Program], a February 4, 1981, obituary from ''[[The New York Times]]''.</ref><ref name="time1981">[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,954682,00.html Deaths], a February 16, 1981, article from [[Time (magazine)|''Time'']] magazine.</ref> She is buried in [[Arlington National Cemetery]].
On January 16, 1981, [[President of the United States|President]] [[Jimmy Carter]] awarded McNamara the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom|Medal of Freedom]] for her work with RIF. She died of [[cancer]] eighteen days later, at the age of 65.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1981/02/04/obituaries/margaret-mcnamara-65-is-dead-began-children-s-reading-program.html Margaret Craig McNamara, 65, is Dead; Began Children's Reading Program], a February 4, 1981, obituary from ''[[The New York Times]]''.</ref><ref name="time1981">[https://web.archive.org/web/20101015145937/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,954682,00.html Deaths], a February 16, 1981, article from [[Time (magazine)|''Time'']] magazine.</ref> In summer of 1981, her ashes were scattered by her family on a mountainside meadow at Buckskin Pass, near [[Snowmass Village, Colorado]]. Margaret Craig McNamara is commemorated on her husband's grave marker in [[Arlington National Cemetery]].


==Legacy==
==Legacy==
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Today, through its contract with the [[United States Department of Education|U.S. Department of Education]] and with private funds, RIF provides 16 million free books for children to choose and keep each year. RIF programs operate in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}} RIF is also affiliated with programs in Argentina and the United Kingdom. It achieves high visibility through [[public service announcements]] on [[children's television]] programs.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}
Today, through its contract with the [[United States Department of Education|U.S. Department of Education]] and with private funds, RIF provides 16 million free books for children to choose and keep each year. RIF programs operate in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}} RIF is also affiliated with programs in Argentina and the United Kingdom. It achieves high visibility through [[public service announcements]] on [[children's television]] programs.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}


===The Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund===
===Margaret McNamara Education Grants===
The Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund<ref>[http://www.gwu.edu/~fellows/mmmf.html Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund<!-- Bot generated title -->] from the website of [[George Washington University]].</ref> was established in 1981 to honor Margaret McNamara and her commitment to the well-being of women and children in developing countries. The purpose of the grant is to support the education of women from developing countries who are committed to improving the lives of women and children in their home countries. Grant recipients study in diverse fields, such as agriculture, architecture and urban planning, civil engineering, education, forestry, journalism, nursing, nutrition, pediatrics, public administration, public health, social sciences, and social work. In 2015, the organization was rebranded as Margaret McNamara Education Grants (MMEG)<ref>[http://www.mmeg.org]. Grants are awarded to women studying at accredited universities in the USA, Canada, select universities in Latin America and in South Africa.
The Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund was established in 1981 to honor Margaret McNamara and her commitment to the well-being of women and children in developing countries. Grants are provided annually to support the university education of women from developing countries who are committed to improving the lives of women and children. Grant recipients study in diverse fields, including agriculture, architecture and urban planning, civil engineering, education, forestry, journalism, nursing, nutrition, pediatrics, public administration, public health, social sciences, and social work.<ref>[http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/318721468339678114/pdf/14002-REPLACEMENT-PUB-PUBLIC.pdf The Story of Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund] by Harriet Baldwin, summarizes achievements up to 1995</ref>


The volunteer non-profit organization was rebranded as ''Margaret McNamara Education Grants'' in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mmeg.org/ |title=Home |website=mmeg.org}}</ref> Grants are awarded to women aged 25 and over studying at accredited universities in the US, Canada, South Africa, and France, and at select universities in Latin America. As of April 2023, grants have been awarded to 441 extraordinary women from more than 75 countries.
===''The Fog of War''===
Robert McNamara mentions his wife several times in ''[[The Fog of War]]'', the 2003 Oscar-winning documentary.<ref>[http://www.errolmorris.com/film/fow_transcript.html Transcript of ''The Fog of War''], from the official website of [[Errol Morris]].</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.mmeg.org/ Margaret McNamara Education Grants website]
* [http://www.rif.org/ Reading is Fundamental website]
* [http://www.rif.org/ Reading is Fundamental website]
** [http://www.rif.org/who/leadership/founders/McNamara.mspx McNamara Biography] on Reading is Fundamental website
** [https://web.archive.org/web/20050313204738/http://www.rif.org/who/leadership/founders/McNamara.mspx McNamara Biography] on Reading is Fundamental website
* [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/margaret-mcnamara-pastor-and-nancy-richardson-carl/congress-dont-close-the-b_b_104998.html Congress: Don't Close the Book on RIF], a June 3, 2008, article from ''[[The Huffington Post]]''.
* [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/margaret-mcnamara-pastor-and-nancy-richardson-carl/congress-dont-close-the-b_b_104998.html Congress: Don't Close the Book on RIF], a June 3, 2008, article from ''[[The Huffington Post]]''.

{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:McNamara, Margaret}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McNamara, Margaret}}
[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:1981 deaths]]
[[Category:1981 deaths]]
[[Category:Spouses of United States Cabinet members]]
[[Category:Grants (money)]]
[[Category:Student financial aid]]
[[Category:Reading skill advocates]]
[[Category:Reading skill advocates]]
[[Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery]]
[[Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery]]

Latest revision as of 02:54, 27 December 2023

Not to be confused with Margaret Craig.
Margaret McNamara
Margaret McNamara with Ted Kennedy
Born
Margaret Craig

(1915-08-22)August 22, 1915
Spokane, Washington, U.S.
DiedFebruary 3, 1981(1981-02-03) (aged 65)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Resting placeashes scattered near Snowmass Village, Colorado, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of California, Berkeley
OccupationTeacher
Known forFounder of Reading is Fundamental
Spouse
​
(m. 1940)​
Children3, including Craig McNamara
AwardsPresidential Medal of Freedom (1981)

Margaret Craig McNamara (August 22, 1915 – February 3, 1981) was the founder of the nonprofit children's literacy organization Reading is Fundamental and the wife of the United States Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara.

Life and work[edit]

McNamara was born on August 22, 1915, in Spokane, Washington, and grew up in Alameda, California.[1]

McNamara attended University of California, Berkeley, where she met Robert McNamara, whom she would marry on August 13, 1940.[2] Her husband's appointment by President John F. Kennedy as U.S. Secretary of Defense led to their move to Washington, D.C. Her experiences while tutoring three children in the District led to the formation of Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), a nonprofit children's literacy organization dedicated to making reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life. It is the largest literacy program in the country.

On January 16, 1981, President Jimmy Carter awarded McNamara the Medal of Freedom for her work with RIF. She died of cancer eighteen days later, at the age of 65.[3][4] In summer of 1981, her ashes were scattered by her family on a mountainside meadow at Buckskin Pass, near Snowmass Village, Colorado. Margaret Craig McNamara is commemorated on her husband's grave marker in Arlington National Cemetery.

Legacy[edit]

Reading is Fundamental[edit]

Main article: Reading Is Fundamental

After many early organizational meeting with other educators in the District, McNamara secured a $150,000 grant from the Ford Foundation to support pilot activities in the District of Columbia. Following the success RIF had in Washington, the Ford Foundation increased RIF's grant to $285,000 in August 1968, enabling RIF to launch ten model programs across the country. From these early beginnings, RIF evolved into a national motivating force for literacy. At the time of McNamara's death in 1981, RIF had provided "more than 3 million poor children with 37 million books."[4]

Today, through its contract with the U.S. Department of Education and with private funds, RIF provides 16 million free books for children to choose and keep each year. RIF programs operate in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.[citation needed] RIF is also affiliated with programs in Argentina and the United Kingdom. It achieves high visibility through public service announcements on children's television programs.[citation needed]

Margaret McNamara Education Grants[edit]

The Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund was established in 1981 to honor Margaret McNamara and her commitment to the well-being of women and children in developing countries. Grants are provided annually to support the university education of women from developing countries who are committed to improving the lives of women and children. Grant recipients study in diverse fields, including agriculture, architecture and urban planning, civil engineering, education, forestry, journalism, nursing, nutrition, pediatrics, public administration, public health, social sciences, and social work.[5]

The volunteer non-profit organization was rebranded as Margaret McNamara Education Grants in 2015.[6] Grants are awarded to women aged 25 and over studying at accredited universities in the US, Canada, South Africa, and France, and at select universities in Latin America. As of April 2023, grants have been awarded to 441 extraordinary women from more than 75 countries.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Hailey, Jean R. (1981-02-04). "Margaret McNamara Dies". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  2. ^ Robert McNamara: Secretary of Defense excoriated for his part in leading America into the Vietnam War, a July 7, 2009, obituary from The Independent.
  3. ^ Margaret Craig McNamara, 65, is Dead; Began Children's Reading Program, a February 4, 1981, obituary from The New York Times.
  4. ^ a b Deaths, a February 16, 1981, article from Time magazine.
  5. ^ The Story of Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund by Harriet Baldwin, summarizes achievements up to 1995
  6. ^ "Home". mmeg.org.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Margaret_McNamara&oldid=1192007165"