Mary Brady at GC graduation. 2006
Help Endow the Mary Brady Scholarship at Georgetown College
The Mary Brady Scholarship will provide a cash award to a full-time rising senior majoring in English, with preference given to a student who has an interest in education. The ideal recipient will be someone whose goal is to teach and challenge students like Dr. Brady did.Our goal is to endow the scholarship so that it can be given annually for years to come, starting in 2014. To do that, we need to raise $25,000 by May 2013.
Make a Gift to the Mary Brady Scholarship
[Note: Clicking the link above will take you from this website and direct you to Georgetown College’s donation page so that you can give a secure online donation].
Use our secure web server to make a contribution. In the Designation/Comments box, paste in “Dr. Mary Brady Scholarship Fund/Pawling 110 Club.” Even if you don’t have a lot to give, your contribution will go a long way toward helping us meet our goal, and toward helping students meet theirs. To learn about our Mary Brady Scholarship continued giving campaign, visit The Pawling 110 Club and become a member today. See the Georgetown College English Department’s website for more information about giving by phone or mail.
About the Mary Brady Project
Since her passing in 2007, many of us have wrestled with the best way to honor Dr. Mary T. Brady. Of course, if Brady were still alive, she’d argue that she’s hardly worth honoring and that we should get back to work.
Everyone (we hope) has that professor that makes them think, “I wouldn’t be me if not for [that person].” That’s who Brady is for a lot of people. She taught us how to challenge ourselves, how to question the world, how to keep working, how to fail, how to constantly improve, how to bring out the best in others, and how to live in this infuriating world. Brady believed in us when we weren’t sure we even wanted to believe in ourselves. She kept us keeping going. Many of us wanted to be her when we grew up… and we still do.
So, what is this project?
This project is the most tangible, direct way we could think of to do for others what Brady did for us.
We’ll share her stories with each other and you’ll find them in Episodes section. If you want to contribute, fill out one of the several comment forms throughout the site or e-mail us directly.
The other point of this site is to make sure what she taught us isn’t forgotten, so we’ve created the Red Room. There you’ll find an archive of her notes, syllabi, bibliographies and other materials. It seemed wrong to just put these files out there for the taking, so that page is password protected. We’re trying to balance academic inquiry with academic honesty. But if you’re smart (and you probably are), the password isn’t too difficult to figure out.
Here’s a clue: Beowulf. There’s another clue on the Red Room page if you can find it.
Once you figure out how to access the Red Room, you’ve proven your worth and may share the password with whomever you please, however you please.
The Mary Brady Project 
I think Mom would be equal parts horrified and enthralled. And yes, you should get back to work. Thank you for doing this.
I think this is fabulous and you are right. She would be mortified!
I don’t know what to say, except that I really did not need a good cry this morning but I am having it anyway. As I’ve told John, Margaret, Howell, Gina and Megan many times, Mary was my guiding light and I still miss her every day. I know that many who are reading this feel the same way.
I am going to share a story about now instead of the past. For many reasons, this has been a very difficult semester. I won’t go into details, but to suffice it to say that in some ways I think the entire Georgetown Campus is feeling it; we are all worn out and need a break. In a low moment, I said a prayer, which might better be described as a rant, like the one Lieutenant Dan let loose during the storm in Forrest Gump. Anyway, the content of the prayer was something to the extent, “If God cared, he would not have taken so much away, and at least left Mary to yell at me and help me make sense of the world.” This was about three weeks ago. Since then, I keep coming upon doors that I KNOW that I’ve closed standing slightly ajar. This happened about 6 times.
Anyway, I can’t deny now that Mary is with us. She’s reminding me that less whining and more perseverance is an open door of some sort. It’s not quite comforting as a full-blown screaming fit (followed by a hug of course), but it’s enough to make it through the day.
Barbara
For Barbara: Yes. Exactly.
For the rest of you: The things that Mary always seemed to appreciate most were those that people did for her when she hadn’t expected it and somehow hadn’t thought anybody cared enough to do it. She might have been mortified, but I doubt the mortification would have registered as deeply in her as whatever emotion would have caused a smile to linger as a dancing shadow on her face for the rest of the day. Well, done, guys.
Now, I have to get back to work.
JCM
I have to say that I became a crying mess when I was first pointed this direction yesterday.
From there, I started looking through The Red Room and a flood of memories came back. There was Dr. Brady standing nose to nose with me yelling “SEEEEE!!!” when we were dissecting Blake or her sly smile as she peered over her glasses as “The Flea” began to sink in. She truly changed my life. She encouraged me to think, not be such a slacker and to write. I went from a Poli Sci major who was taking a mandatory survey class to an English major who couldn’t get enough of Blake, Eliot and Wordsworth all because of Dr. Brady opening up a passion in me. I can’t look at my bookshelf without thinking of her.
I haven’t a clue as to who is behind setting this up, but bless you for it. I plan on visiting here often to see what others are saying and to check in with The Red Room. I can’t wait to get out my Norton Anthology and go back through her notes.
–Greg
PS. I have a co-worker who is a Georgetown alum. His memory of Dr. Brady is of her writing “GIVE UP” on his third draft of a paper. I had to share that. It’s just a little too perfect.
I posted a comment on Wednesday, but i do not see it. What might have happened to it?
Professor Greynolds, I have no idea. I can assure you that we didn’t intentionally delete your comment. In fact, I thought I replied to your comment last night and have no idea what happened to it. Nothing is showing up on the admin side to indicate anything is amiss.
Sorry for the mixup. Post away and let me know if you have any more problems.
-Gina
Margaret,
I hope you will repost. It would be a gift to hear from you.
Barbara
Thanks for doing this. 🙂
This website is such a gift to help us all remember her! I originally saw the website on Dr Brady’s birthday and I honestly was so overwhelmed with emotion that I was at a loss for words (imagine that lol!). Each day I enjoy reading everyone’s stories about Mary Brady, as they refresh memories that I hold so tight to from Georgetown College. Selfishly, this website has given me some closure, as I never got to tell her what she really meant to me. Thank you so much for creating this 🙂