Eileen Moran Brown, an Immaculata University graduate and co-founder of Cambridge College in Massachusetts, died on Sept. 28 at the age of 87, writes James R. Hagerty for the Philadelphia Business Journal.
Brown always recognized potential in students often overlooked by other schools.
Cambridge College primarily admits working adults facing financial or personal challenges, including school dropouts, former prisoners, and individuals with low test scores. Classes are scheduled in the evenings and on weekends to accommodate full-time workers.
Brown often said that higher education should not “just be for the privileged and the lucky.”
Her students received credit for life and work experiences, and she expected them to learn from one another through class discussions, not just from professors.
Brown discovered her passion for education in the late 1960s while running a federally funded program helping Philadelphia high school students prepare for college. She later attended Harvard graduate school, where she met Joan Goldsmith, who helped her establish Cambridge College.
Brown served as president, with early support from the Rockefeller family, David Koch, and Charles Feeney, until 2003, when she became chancellor. She retired in 2009.
Read more about Eileen Moran Brown’s impact in the world of higher education in The Wall Street Journal.
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