Latin School of Chicago

When she teaches, McDonald says, "I'm following the model established by Lovett. He's brilliant." N o one who knows Marianne McDonald '54 will be surprised to learn that she has very strong feelings about the Classics, not to mention the cultures that produced them. "I love the Greeks," she says. "They're so much better than the Romans. The Romans are very American – all about war, greed and power. The Greeks had more of the softer qualities. Although they did have slavery, of course…." It would be easy to engage McDonald for hours on the relative merits of the Greeks versus the Romans; even after teaching for so many years, she maintains an unbridled enthusiasm for the subject. A renowned professor of Classics and Theatre at the University of California, San Diego, McDonald is also an acclaimed author and playwright. Her translations of ancient dramas have been performed worldwide, and she has delivered speeches and lectures around the world on the subject of classics and ancient dramas. She maintains a profound connection to her Irish roots and is a Member of the Royal Irish Academy. McDonald was awarded a Fulbright, as well as numerous other honors, for her teaching in Dublin. Her passion for the Greeks and Romans stems in large part from her time at Latin – and the influence of one teacher in particular. "Francis [Bud] Lovett was such an inspiration!" she says. "He always told us, 'Never comment on the obvious.' I believe he had the key not only to understanding great literature, but also to loving life." She recalled one method her former teacher employed to ensure he had his students' attention. "Lovett would look around his classroom and see if anyone was falling asleep. If he saw anyone, he would throw a piece of chalk at them." And while McDonald doesn't use that particular technique in her classrooms – "I don't think one could do that now," she says – she does her best to keep her students engaged – "Even in the 500-person lectures." McDonald credits the teachers she had at Latin not only for their teaching, but also for being remarkable role models. "As a teacher, I think it's just as important to convey your values as it is to convey a subject matter," McDonald says. "That's something I learned at Latin." "As a teacher, I think it's just as important to convey your values as it is to convey a subject matter. That's something I learned at Latin." Latin allowed McDonald a rare taste of independence – something she wasn't allowed much of during her cosseted childhood in Chicago. "I had great intellectual freedom, and great personal freedom at Latin. I felt empowered there," she says. "I could think." McDonald's father was very protective, but he also raised his daughter to believe she could do anything in the world; a Latin education was his ideal complement. "My father had confidence in me, and trained me to shoot and fish. He never limited me due to being a woman. And Latin continued that tradition," McDonald says. "I was never made to feel the limitations of gender." Today she's doing her best to ensure a new generation of women will never encounter those limitations. "I've been really working actively to help address the gender inequities," McDonald says. "I'm one of the fighting females. And that's thanks to my father, and Latin, and Lovett in particular. He was always fighting for what's right. He was just so generous." n Latin School of Chicago 29

• Cover