Nancy Donahue

Nancy Donahue, Philanthropist and Community Leader

Nancy Lawson Donahue has made an indelible mark on the city of Lowell. Born in New Britain, CT, Nancy moved to Lowell after her marriage to Attorney Richard K. Donahue in 1953. The pair had previously volunteered for John F. Kennedy’s Senate run against Henry Cabot Lodge, and when Kennedy later won the presidency in 1961, they moved to Washington, D.C so that Dick could serve on JFK’s White House staff. By 1970, Dick had joined Nike, Inc. and Nancy became increasingly involved with organizations in Lowell. This included taking leadership roles that included the co-founder of the Merrimack Repertory Theater (and has served as a trustee for over 38 years); a founding Board member of the New England Quilt Museum; a trustee of the Whistler House Museum of Art, a trustee of the American Textile Museum; the Executive Director of the University of Lowell Foundation Cultural Series; and the first woman Board President of the United Way Mass Bay and Merrimack Valley. She has served on numerous additional advisory boards. In 2013 she received an honorary degree from UMass Lowell. 

The Interview

In her interview, she recounts how she met Dick, their early years with JFK and Nike, Inc., and how she got involved with the revitalization of Lowell. A hallmark of her approach can be identified in the high standards she set. For example, as Executive Director of the University of Lowell Foundation she brought in cellist Yo-Yo Ma (pictured here). She also underscores the need for ethics as a critical part of urban revitalization and why she in turn established the Donahue Center for Social Responsibility and Ethics at UMass Lowell. The interview ends with her encouragement to the next generation that social responsibility can simply begin by “showing up” to events, taking part, and supporting the efforts of others in the community. As she concludes about her own involvement, “I loved it…I loved being with people….I just did what I thought I should do.”