June 27, 2011

By Emily Matras ‘12

Mary Thornberry marches with the faculty at Commencement 2011.

As a girl, Mary Thornberry knew that the one thing she didn’t want to be was a teacher. But as she grew up, she didn’t have a better idea of what to do. Once she started teaching, her attitude changed completely. “I thought ‘This is fun,’” she recalled. “I began to think that maybe this is something I can do for the rest of my life.”

That’s what she did for 38 years, including 31 years in the political science department here at Davidson. Thornberry retired this year with a distinguished record of teaching, scholarship and service.

She graduated from Duke University’s Women’s College in 1965, and did her graduate work at the University of Michigan. After receiving her Ph.D., Thornberry taught for five years as an assistant professor at the University of Arizona before Harris Proctor, a former professor at Duke, attracted her in 1980 to the department he was now leading at Davidson.

Thornberry served the college well during her tenure. She was department chair from 1999-2008, served on the admissions committee, and participated in drafting the Strategic Plan. She has published dozens of conference papers and articles. Even in retirement she is working on a book about research methods for undergraduate students in political science. 

Her departmental colleague Professor Brian Shaw noted her importance in modernizing the department’s curriculum through her interest in civil liberties and women’s issues. He said, “In addition to her regular courses in American Politics, Constitutional Law, and Civil Liberties, Mary generated consistent demand for what were then novel offerings like ‘Politics and Literature’ and the popular ‘Politics of Feminism’ course. In fact, Mary served as the inaugural chair of the Gender Studies Program.”

Many of the courses she has taught have been interdisciplinary, including courses on health care, public policy, and politics in the novel.

Thornberry has witnessed much change in her time on faculty, and most appreciated the changes that technology brought to the classroom. “After class, I can email my students a list of things to think about for an upcoming paper,” she said. “I have the ability to call up things online in the classroom. I couldn’t do that when I first came here.”

Thornberry also enjoyed the congenial company of colleagues at Davidson. “The political science department here couldn’t be replicated anywhere else,” she said. “They’re an amazing group of people all the way around.”

Shaw said in a tribute that she contributes significantly to that departmental attitude of appreciation and respect. He said, “When I interviewed here for a job in 1982, I recall Mary being especially welcoming. She has continued to be unfailingly gracious during even the most trying moments, unstintingly supportive of colleagues’ teaching and scholarly endeavors, and irrepressibly cheerful and considerate. She has helped us all become better teachers and scholars.”

Thornberry at a departmental retirement party with Scott Luberto '12, the inaugural holder of the Thornberry Award for participation in the political science department's summer program in Washington.

To show that appreciation in a tangible way, the political science department has established a scholarship in her name, which will benefit students participating in the Davidson in Washington summer program.

Thornberry’s favorite Davidson experience has been working with students, both in and out of class. She said, “I’ve always enjoyed helping students who are working through issues like ‘Do I want to go to law school or not?’ Some student relationships last beyond graduation – I recently received an email from a former student who’s now at the London School of Economics. She says she still pulls out the notes from my class to help her study.”

In addition to the teaching the subject matter of courses, Thornberry has emphasized to students the importance of good writing in any profession. She said, “In the age of Facebook and texting, good writing is still important. Developing writing skills is central to all of my classes, and I love to see students improve.”

Thornberry’s retirement plans include continuation of her volunteer duty at the Presbyterian Hospital-Huntersville, and maintaining her chair in the Davidson College Presbyterian Church choir. She is also a certified public arbiter with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), which regulates the NASDAQ and New York Stock Exchange merger. She has scheduled a new FINRA case for the same week Davidson begins fall classes to make the transition away from teaching easier.

Davidson is a highly selective independent liberal arts college for 1,900 students located 20 minutes north of Charlotte in Davidson, N.C. Since its establishment in 1837 by Presbyterians, the college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently regarded as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. Through The Davidson Trust, the college became the first liberal arts institution in the nation to replace loans with grants in all financial aid packages, giving all students the opportunity to graduate debt-free. Davidson competes in NCAA athletics at the Division I level, and a longstanding Honor Code is central to student life at the college.
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