MCC Daily Tribune
The Passing of Trustee Chair Emerita Dr. Alice Holloway Young
It is with great sadness that I inform the College community of the passing of Dr. Alice Holloway Young—founding trustee, board chair emerita, trailblazing educator, and lifelong champion of education—on April 26, 2024.
Dr. Young's legacy at MCC is enormous through her extraordinary leadership during her 63-year service on the Board of Trustees and her generosity in support of students. She shaped the direction of the College and provided leadership that saw MCC become the premier institution it is today. Because of her lifelong work and her belief in the power of learning, the local community and the lives of over half a million students who walked through the halls and classrooms at MCC have been transformed.
As a founding trustee of MCC in 1961, Dr. Young was among the first to believe that a community college would benefit Rochester and city residents. Just as she distinguished herself as a pioneer in education, Dr. Young was committed to breaking down barriers to inclusion and establishing a community college dedicated to access and excellence.
During her tenure on the Board of Trustees, she served in various capacities, including the chair position from 1978 to 1998. Her tenure earned her recognition as the longest-serving trustee among New York state community colleges. She was so impactful in her role as a trustee that the New York Community College Trustees recognized her achievements with an annual award for exemplary trustee service named in her honor.
In 2020, she was conferred an honorary doctorate of humane letters by the SUNY Board of Trustees for her unparalleled vision, leadership, and dedication to MCC.
Accorded the status of chair emerita in 1998, Dr. Young remained an active and engaged honorary trustee until her passing. She regularly attended student-recognition events such as Commencement and Academic Achievement Convocation and was especially delighted to see MCC's vision for a permanent downtown campus become a reality. As someone who made it her mission to ensure access to higher education for people from all walks of life, she was thrilled to attend the ceremonial groundbreaking for the campus in 2015 and the community celebration of its grand opening in 2017.
To help continue her efforts to create opportunities for the full diversity of students while increasing inclusive representation among MCC's faculty and staff, MCC inaugurated the Dr. Alice Holloway Young Internship Program in 2001 to encourage underrepresented individuals to consider a career in a community college. Over 110 graduate students have gained valuable experiences through the program.
Dr. Young's many extraordinary contributions to the success of the College and its students have been recognized at MCC—including the naming of the Alice Holloway Young Commons residence hall complex in 2003 and most recently in 2019 at a dedication ceremony for the newly named Dr. Alice Holloway Young Conference Room (1-320) located in the Peter A. Spina Administration Building.
Her profound impact on public higher education also garnered state and national recognition. In 2021, she received the Liberty Medal. the highest honor awarded by the New York State Senate in recognition of lifetime achievement and exceptional community acts.
On a national level, she served as chair of the Association of Community College Trustees (1996) and as trustee and president of the Association of Boards of Trustees of Community Colleges of SUNY (1989-91; re-elected secretary in 1985), the latter awarding her its highest honor, the Anne M. Bushnell Memorial Award for Special Achievement, in 1993.
In 2021, the Rochester City School District renamed School 3 to Dr. Alice Holloway Young School of Excellence, in her honor.
Her remarkable life stories have been captured in two books: "Tearing Down Fences: The Life of Alice Holloway Young" and "Uncrowned Queens: African American Women Community Builders of Western New York" (second volume).
In a nomination for a community award to honor her in 2019, Dr. Young reflected on her achievements and offered advice to the next generation of leaders:
"Always appreciate and value your education and any educational opportunities that come your way. If you learn every day, exercise hard work, embrace failures, appreciate and respect those around you, and most importantly, use the words 'thank you' as much as possible, you will succeed. Finally, show your compassion to others and demonstrate your acceptance of our global culture and society."
Dr. Young is predeceased by her husband of 62 years, James, and is survived by sons Rodney and Calvin, daughter Kathleen, and three grandchildren.
Plans for a memorial service are in progress.
DeAnna Burt-Nanna
Office of the President
04/29/2024