Those who were lucky enough to have known Mary McLean Evans ’82 described her as the ultimate connector. Fittingly, earlier this year her friends, including members of the Board of Trustees, established an endowed fund in Evans’ honor: The Mary McLean Evans ’82 Scholarship, which will provide scholarship support and funding for Career Center resources intended for students who demonstrate significant financial need. Additionally, Evans and her longtime partner, Dr. Allen Van Dyke, established The Mary McLean Evans ’82 and Allen H. Van Dyke Internship Fund, which will provide cost-of-living assistance to Hamilton students who plan to take a paid or unpaid summer internship. Both funds will connect bright young scholars to meaningful opportunities and resources.
Tragically, Evans died in May following a long and determined battle with cancer, but her love for, and impact on, Hamilton — as a student, an alumna, an employee, a philanthropist, and a devoted friend — will live on forever. Upon her passing, President Steven Tepper shared in a message to the Hamilton community, “Simply put, Mary was extraordinary.” (Read President Tepper’s full In Memoriam statement.)
The love Evans felt for the Hamilton community and her gift for welcoming people into the fold are reflected in both the scholarship established in her name and the internship fund that she and her partner established; they both support her personal commitment to ensuring that students have access to life-changing education and experiences.
The inaugural recipient of the internship fund, Aksel Reid ’27, conducted research this past summer at the Masonic Medical Research Institute in Utica. A member of the NESCAC All-Academic Team, he was the starting goalie and NCAA tournament most outstanding player for the national champion men’s hockey team.
Like Reid, Evans was a science major from Minnesota. She arrived on College Hill in 1978 as a member of Hamilton’s first coeducational class. She majored in biology, was elected to Pentagon, and was known by her classmates as a uniquely warm individual with a gift for making others feel welcome and for embracing every opportunity that came her way. Few were surprised when Evans received the James Soper Merrill Prize as the member of the 1982 graduating class who in character and influence typified the highest ideals of the College.
“No one, in my experience, [had] a better understanding of the Hamilton community and how to inspire its affection and loyalty than Mary. On any list of great contributors to our College, Mary is one of those at the top.”
Evans served in Hamilton’s Advancement Office for more than 30 years and, after a stint working for The American University in Paris, returned to her alma mater in 2022 to help bring the Because Hamilton campaign to a successful conclusion. Hamiltonians often sought out Evans for her insight and expertise, knowing that her love for Hamilton inspired in her a drive to elevate the College and connect current students to the support they’d need in a shifting professional landscape.
She advised several College presidents, led a redesign of Career Center programming, and helped hundreds of donors realize their philanthropic aspirations. Evans served Hamilton with love, joy, enthusiasm, and a genuine desire to bring people together with the College that gave her so much.
Former Chairman of the Board of Trustees Kevin Kennedy ’70 said, “No one, in my experience, [had] a better understanding of the Hamilton community and how to inspire its affection and loyalty than Mary. On any list of great contributors to our College, Mary is one of those at the top.”
Shortly before Evans passed away, the Alumni Council selected her as the recipient of the 2026 Bell Ringer Award. She became just the second person, and the first woman, to receive both the James Soper Merrill Prize and the Bell Ringer Award, Hamilton’s two most prestigious honors. (Read the full Bell Ringer citation.)
Evans’ dear friend, Trustee Amy Owens Goodfriend ’82, accepted the award on her behalf at the annual Alumni Association meeting during Reunion Weekend 2026. Goodfriend and Evans’ partner, Van Dyke, gave deeply touching remarks, sharing their memories of Evans with the assembly.
“Mary will always be here in spirit,” Goodfriend said. “Mary was a family member to me, and to many here. Mary will always love Hamilton, and Hamilton will always love Mary.”
Echoing Goodfriend, Van Dyke said that Evans is with him in his heart wherever he goes, and that he especially felt her presence on the Hill that sunny June morning.
“Remember that her spirit is all around you, and that she loved each and every one of you,” Van Dyke said.
“Mary was a family member to me, and to many here. Mary will always love Hamilton, and Hamilton will always love Mary.”
It’s impossible to quantify how many lives Evans touched through her passionate advocacy for the Hamilton community, and the scholarship and internship funds serve as an apt tribute to her dedication to the College. As a former colleague remarked, “Mary wanted nothing more than to help Hamiltonians network, build careers, raise money, strengthen relationships and, above all, do good.”
Posted September 24, 2026
