St. Mark's Mourns Beloved Leader

It is with a deep sense of sadness that the St. Mark’s School of Texas community mourns the loss of one of its most beloved friends and benefactors, Mrs. Margaret Milam McDermott, who died today at the age of 106. Throughout her long and truly remarkable life, Margaret embodied generosity, kindness, intellectual prowess, and visionary leadership. She was a true Dallas icon who forever shaped the landscape of not only our School, but also our great city.
 
“Margaret McDermott’s legacy will endure forever at St. Mark’s. She is one of the great titans of our School,” said Eugene McDermott Headmaster David Dini. “It has been a rare privilege to get to know Margaret over the past several decades, an opportunity that I will always cherish. She has, quite simply, changed the course of history for St. Mark’s and more important, shaped the lives of literally thousands of students. On behalf of my colleagues as well as every Marksman, past, present, and future, we simply say, ‘thank you, Margaret, for enriching all of our lives. We will miss you dearly.’”
 
Margaret’s relationship with St. Mark’s began back in the 1940s during her husband’s ten-year run as Board of Trustees President from 1946-1956. In the 1960s they joined forces with good friends and fellow Texas Instruments co-founders, Cecil and Ida Green, to fund a state-of-the-art Math and Science Quadrangle, which gained national attention for its innovative and forward-looking capabilities that included closed-circuit television, a planetarium and observatory, a greenhouse, and much more. Soon after, the Eugene McDermott Scholarship Endowment was established, a fund that today supports need-based scholarship assistance for up to 20 St. Mark’s students each year. The McDermotts and Greens together went on to transform virtually every aspect of the School, endowing scholarships and teaching chairs, funding academic and co-curricular programs, and building new facilities all over the campus. These investments inspired students like Alan Stern ’75, principal investigator and team leader of NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto who said, “Looking back, St. Mark’s was very much about making a man out of a boy, and I felt that even in high school. I could feel I was on an escalator going somewhere.”
 
The McDermott name is forever woven into the fabric of St. Mark’s and is an integral part of the School’s history. A variety of large endowments embody the philanthropic spirit and leadership that Margaret and her late husband stood for, including the Eugene McDermott Headmaster Endowment, the Eugene McDermott Master Teaching Chair in Science, the Margaret McDermott & Ida Green Lectureship Fund, the Margaret McDermott Centennial Fund, the Eugene McDermott Scholarship Endowment, and more.
 
“Mrs. McDermott made so much possible for me and for the boys,” said John Mead, who holds the Eugene McDermott Master Teaching Chair in Science. “Her great love and care for this wonderful institution have enabled us to challenge, motivate, and inspire boys to reach for the stars. I feel privileged to come to work every day and see her name connected to so many aspects of this campus.”
 
After the death of her beloved husband Gene in 1973, Margaret continued to support St. Mark’s in every way possible, providing great leadership, vision, and generosity. Ever present at School events and a trusted donor to an extensive list of campus priorities, Mrs. McDermott’s commitment to the School has never wavered. She joined the Board of Trustees in 1981, and three years later, she was elected as a Life Trustee. Margaret was also named as an Honorary Alumnus in 1983, one of only six women to hold that honor.
 
Margaret’s commitment to education has spanned many colleges, schools, and universities, including St. Mark’s, Hockaday, MIT, Stanford, SMU, UT Southwestern Medical Center, and, of course, her pride and joy, the University of Texas at Dallas. UTD has experienced meteoric growth and progress since its founding thanks in large measure to Margaret’s very personal care, leadership, and generosity. One of her signature commitments at UTD, the McDermott Scholars Program, annually attracts outstanding students from around the country, including five Marksmen during the past four years. Margaret also passionately supported countless arts, healthcare, and social services organizations, including the Dallas Museum of Art, the Dallas Symphony, and the AT&T Performing Arts Center, among many others.
 
Margaret’s daughter Mary, who serves as President of the Eugene McDermott Foundation, is also a longtime friend to St. Mark’s, having served as a Trustee and generous supporter over many years. “Our hearts go out to Mary, her daughter Grace, and to all who are grieving, as we come to terms with the idea of life without Margaret,” continued Mr. Dini.
 
“The entire St. Mark’s community is saddened by the loss of Margaret McDermott,” said Jon Mosle ’79, President of the Board of Trustees. “We are profoundly grateful for her loyal friendship and support over the past seven decades. It is impossible to imagine St. Mark’s without the McDermotts, and their impact extends far beyond the buildings and generous endowment funds that bear their names. As a Life Trustee, Mrs. McDermott was a trusted adviser to the School’s leaders for decades, helping to shape the School’s core values. Like so many other institutions in Dallas and across the country, St. Mark’s owes an immeasurable debt of gratitude to Margaret.”
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    • Mrs. McDermott shares wisdom with Marksmen from the Class of 2015 during a lunch at the Headmaster's Residence.

    • St. Mark's Board of Trustees Past Presidents Ken Hersh ’81 and Leonard Riggs with Mrs. McDermott.

St. Mark’s School of Texas

10600 Preston Road
Dallas, Texas 75230
214-346-8000

About Us

St. Mark’s School of Texas is a private, nonsectarian college-preparatory boys’ day school for students in grades 1 through 12, located in Dallas, Texas. St. Mark’s aims to prepare young men to assume leadership and responsibility in a competitive and changing world.

St. Mark’s does not discriminate in the administration of its admission and education policies on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.