Mary White ’55

Mary graduated from Saint Mary's in 1955 with a degree in Philosophy and a minor in Business, which was unheard of for women at the time. In her first position at Northern Trust Bank in Chicago, she saw that she was missing out on opportunities because she was a woman. Confident in herself, Mary moved to Washington DC where government positions had more opportunities for women. She progressed through many positions and ultimately worked in the West Wing of the White House for President Kennedy. Following his assassination, Mary was one of the few people transitioned to President Johnson's staff.

Mary later was one of the first women in Washington, DC, to establish her own real estate firm which she managed for over 30 years. During that time she found herself back in the White House in the Map Room managing the transition of President Clinton and his wife Hillary into their new DC residence, celebrating in the Red Room with champagne and delivering the keys on Inauguration Day to the Secret Service.