Mount Mary will present alumna Maripat Dalum (née Young) ’63 with an honorary Doctor of Science degree during the 2026 commencement ceremony. Dalum is a graduate of Mount Mary’s Occupational Therapy program. Her daughter, Judie (Dalum) Taylor, formerly served as an MMU trustee, and her daughter, Marikris (Dalum) O’Grady, is a philanthropist and former president of St. Joan Antida High School. During her remarks, Dalum will speak about the value of education and the ways that Mount Mary has positively shaped her life.
Dalum and her husband, Tom, have been instrumental members of the Milwaukee philanthropic community, serving on boards for Waukesha Memorial Hospital, the Waukesha County Technical College Foundation and the St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care in Milwaukee. The couple co-chaired campaigns for the United Way of Waukesha and St. Catherine Residence and established the Dalum Family Foundation, which provides grants to qualifying public charities. They have donated to Mount Mary for 45 years.
In June 2022, Dalum and her family gifted a sculpture of the Virgin Mary, located at the northwest edge of campus along Burleigh Street and the Menomonee River Parkway. The hand-carved marble piece was imported from Italy, reflecting the family’s ongoing commitment to supporting Mount Mary and the broader community. President Cherney said she is pleased to confer this honor upon Dalum in gratitude for her many financial and spiritual contributions, and expressed profound appreciation for her generosity.