In Memoriam: Ogretta Ann Humphries Vaughn McNeil, 1932-2016

Ogretta McNeil, associate professor emerita of psychology at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, died last month. She was 84 years old.

Dr. McNeil was the first woman tenure-track faculty member in the psychology department at the College of the Holy Cross. She was also the first African American woman across all disciplines to serve on the faculty at the college.

A native of Savannah, Georgia, Dr. McNeil completed high school in Washington, D.C., and then went to Howard University. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Howard, she enrolled in the master’s degree program at Clark University in 1956. After taking time off to raise a family, McNeil returned to Clark University in 1964 to complete a Ph.D. in psychology.

Before joining the faculty at the College of the Holy Cross in 1970, Dr. McNeil taught at Assumption College and Anna Maria College, both in Massachusetts. She taught at the College of Holy Cross for 27 years. Later, Dr. McNeil was elected to the Worcester School Committee.

Dr. McNeil at the College of the Holy Cross, 1974