Mary Patterson McPherson (born c. 1935) has served as the president of Bryn Mawr College (1978–1997), the vice president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (1997–2007), and the executive officer of the American Philosophical Society (2007–2012).
[2] McPherson is widely credited with renewing and revitalizing Bryn Mawr and enhancing its stature during a time when the role of women's colleges was being challenged.
[1] McPherson taught philosophy at the University of Delaware and served as professor and dean at Bryn Mawr before being elected president of Bryn Mawr College, from 1978 to 1997.
[6] McPherson served as vice president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation from October 1997 to February 2007.
[3] MacPherson has also served on the boards of many institutions, including several schools and colleges, JSTOR,[8] the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Brookings Institution, the American Council on Education, and the National Humanities Center.