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In Memoriam: Marcella Brenner
By Carol B. Stapp, Ph.D., Director, Museum Education Program, The George Washington University and National Associate, EdCom Board
Marcella Louis Brenner’s death on December 25, 2007, marks the passing of a pragmatic visionary, at the age of 95 still actively contributing to an extraordinary range of efforts to enhance lives in America and abroad.
After considerable years of experience as a classroom teacher and an elementary school principal, Marcella came to The George Washington University where she developed and then co-founded the Master of Arts in Teaching in Museum Education in 1974—the first degree program of its kind.
When she retired in 1983, after serving as the director of the Museum Education Program during its crucial formative years, she continued to share her wisdom with the degree candidates in the Museum Education Program with yearly presentations.
Marcella was a renowned patron of the arts, supporting a spectrum of educational and cultural endeavors both nationally and internationally. Honored as D.C.’s Outstanding Philanthropist of 2005, Marcella’s generosity funded improved learning and teaching, as well as broader engagement with art, music, and theater.
At GW, she was a major donor to the Marcella Brenner Endowment for Museum Education, established in her honor in 1983 by Gloria H. Horrworth. As a measure of their esteem, alumni and friends have impressively increased the Brenner Endowment over the past quarter century. The annual income underwrites services for students, alumni, and museum professionals, as well as provides support for the Museum Education Program.
Indeed, the true extent of Marcella’s accomplishments almost defies enumeration. Her interests were ecumenical, and she never faltered in her capacity to offer brilliantly savvy counsel. Worldwide, museum visitors benefit from her commitment to the legacy of her husband, Morris Louis, and museum educators cherish her powerful maxim, “The learner controls the learning”—the signature quote introducing a selection of her writings over 35 years, The Change Agent, published in 2000.
On a more personal level, many will join me in mourning the loss of a dear friend and astute mentor, whose role in the world can be described as nothing less than magnificent. Marcella set a high standard for living; she inspired excellence.
In Memoriam: Marcella Brenner
By Carol B. Stapp, Ph.D., Director, Museum Education Program, The George Washington University and National Associate, EdCom Board
Marcella Louis Brenner’s death on December 25, 2007, marks the passing of a pragmatic visionary, at the age of 95 still actively contributing to an extraordinary range of efforts to enhance lives in America and abroad.After considerable years of experience as a classroom teacher and an elementary school principal, Marcella came to The George Washington University where she developed and then co-founded the Master of Arts in Teaching in Museum Education in 1974—the first degree program of its kind.
When she retired in 1983, after serving as the director of the Museum Education Program during its crucial formative years, she continued to share her wisdom with the degree candidates in the Museum Education Program with yearly presentations.
Marcella was a renowned patron of the arts, supporting a spectrum of educational and cultural endeavors both nationally and internationally. Honored as D.C.’s Outstanding Philanthropist of 2005, Marcella’s generosity funded improved learning and teaching, as well as broader engagement with art, music, and theater.
At GW, she was a major donor to the Marcella Brenner Endowment for Museum Education, established in her honor in 1983 by Gloria H. Horrworth. As a measure of their esteem, alumni and friends have impressively increased the Brenner Endowment over the past quarter century. The annual income underwrites services for students, alumni, and museum professionals, as well as provides support for the Museum Education Program.
Indeed, the true extent of Marcella’s accomplishments almost defies enumeration. Her interests were ecumenical, and she never faltered in her capacity to offer brilliantly savvy counsel. Worldwide, museum visitors benefit from her commitment to the legacy of her husband, Morris Louis, and museum educators cherish her powerful maxim, “The learner controls the learning”—the signature quote introducing a selection of her writings over 35 years, The Change Agent, published in 2000.
On a more personal level, many will join me in mourning the loss of a dear friend and astute mentor, whose role in the world can be described as nothing less than magnificent. Marcella set a high standard for living; she inspired excellence.
The Museum Education Roundtable
P.O. Box 15727, Washington, D.C. 20003
info@mer-online.org, www.mer-online.org
tel: 202.547.8378, fax 202.547.8344
P.O. Box 15727, Washington, D.C. 20003
info@mer-online.org, www.mer-online.org
tel: 202.547.8378, fax 202.547.8344
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