A Model of Service and Excellence

Dr. Mary June Roggenbuck

The Catholic University of America is honored to be a beneficiary of the Mary June Roggenbuck Trust. Dr. Roggenbuck passed away on March 2, 2016. She served with distinction on the faculty of the Department of Library and Information Science for 32 years, but her teaching career and her dedication to students extended nearly 50 years. Her generosity of nearly $200,000 will tremendously benefit the University's library and information science program. "This generous gift is a real godsend for our students," said Aaron Dominguez, dean, School of Arts and Sciences. "It will be a great help in advancing the University's commitment to excellence in educating and cultivating Catholic minds."

Mary June's Journey

Mary June—as she was known to all of us—was born in a farmhouse, the oldest daughter in a large farm family in Harbor Beach, Michigan, on Jan. 18, 1932. She attended the one-room Ashmore Elementary School in Sand Beach Township. Upon completion of eighth grade, she stayed home for a year helping to raise her younger siblings and learning domestic skills. She then attended Our Lady of Lake Huron High School, excelling in academics and being active in 4-H Club. She often won awards at the Huron County Agricultural Fair for excellence in cooking, sewing, and garden produce. During this time, she was selected Bean Queen of the Huron County Fair.

Mary June graduated from Saint Mary's of the Woods College in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 1955 with specialization in journalism and children's literature. She then returned home to her farm community, teaching in a one-room elementary school and then for a year at Ashmore Elementary—the school she had attended as a child. There, in her classroom, she taught two of her younger siblings. During this time she was active in her local St. Anthony's Parish community, serving as leader of a very active youth club.

Mary June (far right) in a 2014 photo with her siblings and their spouses

Having served her local community, Mary June then began the long climb to university prominence. She taught for nine years at the Marywood Academy in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 1966 she accepted a teaching position at Lincoln High School in Ypsilanti, Michigan, in part to begin her Ph.D. work at the nearby University of Michigan. She received her Ph.D. in library science with an emphasis on children's literature in 1971 and then accepted a position on the faculty of the Department of Library and Information Science at Catholic University.

During her years of service, Mary June rose through the ranks of academic life—serving on numerous student and University committees; but until the end, she remained as she was in the beginning, a fine teacher and mentor. For Mary June, students always came first.

The University community remembers Mary June with fondness, and she remains a model of service and excellence in the hearts of students, colleagues, and alumni.