In Memoriam: Carol Ruth Carney, 1946-2020

Carol Carney, a long-time faculty member at Claremont McKenna College in California, died from complications of the coronavirus last month at her home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. She was 74 years old.

A native of San Franciso, Dr. Carney attended high school in Anaheim, California, and worked part-time at Disneyland. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Dominican University in San Rafael, California. Dr. Carney received a master’s degree in English from Wagner College in Staten Island, New York, and a Ph.D. in English literature from Claremont Graduate University in California.

After teaching at the high school level, Dr. Carney joined the faculty at Claremont McKenna College in 1987 as as an assistant professor of literature. At the college, she also served as director of the Writing Center and director of senior thesis programs. Dr. Carney also was a member of the board of trustees of Davis and Elkins College in Elkins, West Virginia.

Dr. Carney retired from Claremont McKenna College in 2003. One of her former students has made a donation to create the Professor Carol Carney Endowed Scholarship Fund at the college. The fund will provide financial assistance to one or more Claremont McKenna students demonstrating financial need, with preference given to a student majoring in literature.