Deceased July 1, 2010
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In Memory
Joan and Dick Strand attended the memorial service for Ev MacLennan on July 7. It was held at the Colonial Church in Edina, MN. Dick estimates there were between 500 and 700 people paying their respects to Ev. Classmate Jev Baskin was there, but Dick Wright, who now lives in the Twin Cities, was unable to attend since he and Diane happened to be in Colorado.
Since Ev had spent his entire working career with Cargill, there were many attendees from that company as well as from civic organizations with which Ev was involved.
Shared memories of Ev were given by his brother John '66, sons David '81 and Douglas '92, and daughter Laura '84. Scripture readings were done by daughter Elizabeth and grandson Jack '14. Completing the Amherst contingent was David's wife Kathleen '83.
Ev was a remarkable individual and commanded a great deal of respect. Below is an article about Ev which appeared in the Summer/Fall 2006 issue of Amherst.
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Amherst Magazine Summer/Fall 2006 - Profiles in Philanthropy
Little did Everett MacLennan ’55 know when he saw Amherst for the first time in the early 1950s that today he would look back at a lifelong association with the College on the Hill. Nor that three of his four children also would be graduates.
Ev cherishes Amherst, and he is proud that he has been able to give back in many ways: with his time (class president and associate agent, and president of the Society of the Alumni) and through his financial support (1821 Society Annual Fund donor, establishment of a family scholarship fund, and Johnson Chapel Associate).
His fondest memories center on football, especially his teammates with whom he has maintained close connections to this day. Not wishing to leave an impression that his interests were only athletic, Ev also remembers several professors who contributed greatly to his development, from Professors Nelson and Collery in Economics, to Professors Ziegler in Political Science and Salmon and Packard in History. Continuing a theme so prevalent on this page, he also says it was Amherst that provided the foundation for his success later in life.
Employment success was with one company, Cargill of Minneapolis, for which Ev worked uninterrupted for 42 years until his retirement in 1997 as Senior Vice President of Human Resources. Today, Ev enjoys his family, golf, travel and reading—and, he never ceases to remind us, his beloved Boston Red Sox.
Thoughts on giving to Amherst: “Amherst helped my family with scholarship assistance, and my undergraduate experience shaped my life. I was blessed to work for a successful company that grew and prospered, and Amherst is my first thought when making decisions about charitable contributions.”