Collection Dedicated on Alumni Weekend
The 2011 Alumni Weekend festivities were kicked off by a celebration of the dedication of Lesley’s Children’s Literature Collection in honor of First Alumna Evelyn M. Finnegan ’48 on Friday, June 3rd.
The collection has been endowed by the Finnegan family in honor of their mother. Evelyn is a teacher, children’s librarian, and the author My Little Friends, a series of children’s books, which are on display in Lesley’s Sherrill Library.
Director of the Sherrill Library Patricia Payne welcomed the Lesley community, alumni and friends to the Library, now housed on the Brattle Campus. President Moore expressed appreciation to the Finnegan Family and talked about the enduring importance of books, particularly children’s books, in this electronic age of iPads and tablets. He acknowledged the pioneering First Alumnae who graduated from Lesley as teachers 50 or more years ago. Newly appointed Dean of the Faculty and Director of the Early Childhood Education Program Lisa Fiore talked about language and literacy and the importance of the children’s collection to Lesley students and teachers. Steven Cramer, Director of the MFA in Creative Writing Program, added his appreciation for the Evelyn M. Finnegan ’48 Scholarship in Creative Writing, and shared expressions of gratitude from Finnegan Scholars.
Working with Children
Evelyn Finnegan spoke to the audience about her continuing work with children in the schools that is so gratifying to her. She thanked Lesley University, saying “Lesley has meant everything to me,” and introduced her family: her sons Paul and Peter, Peter’s wife Lisa, and their children Sara, Peter and Katie, who appear in the My Little Friends Series. A new edition is scheduled for 2012.