McMahon Honored with Huntingdon Loyalty Award
Montgomery, Ala.—Birmingham resident Betty Thurman McMahon was
honored by the Huntingdon College National Alumni Association with the Alumni Loyalty Award during
the Reunion Weekend Alumni Awards Banquet, Friday, April 3. McMahon was present with her husband,
John, and surrounded by classmates from the Huntingdon Class of 1964, who were observing their 45th
class reunion.
Born in Atlanta, McMahon graduated from Huntingdon with a B.A. in history, a
minor in English, and a secondary teaching certificate. While at Huntingdon, McMahon served as
president of the Huntingdon Christian Association, was on the Student Government Executive Council,
and was elected to Who’s Who Among American Colleges and Universities. During her senior
year, she was voted to the May Day Court.
After graduation, she married John McMahon and the couple settled in Birmingham, where she taught
social studies and English at Berry High School for two years. Following the birth of her children,
McMahon served as PTA president for Mountain Brook elementary, junior high, and high schools. She
also served as president of the Charity League, chairman of the Birmingham-Southern College Fine Arts
Society, and on the Boards of Directors of the YWCA, Birmingham Children’s Theatre, and the
Virginia Samford Theatre. She is a member of Canterbury United Methodist Church and the United Methodist
Women. For ten years, she co-owned the Lingerie Shoppe in Mountain Brook Village.
McMahon has served Huntingdon College as a Gift Agent, as a member of the National Alumni Board,
and, since 1997, as a member of the Board of Trustees. She and her husband are members of the Huntingdon
Society, the John Massey Heritage Society, and the Order of the Countess of Huntingdon giving society.
She has served as secretary for the Board of Trustees since 2001 and was a member of the Presidential
Search Committee that hired current president J. Cameron West. McMahon has hosted many alumni and
admission events in her home, and an endowed scholarship in her name has enabled many students to receive
financial assistance to attend Huntingdon College.
“Betty McMahon is a treasure for Huntingdon College,” said President J. Cameron West.
“I was shocked to learn that she had never been recognized for her contributions and am thrilled
that we could all celebrate with her at the Awards Banquet. What a wonderful person, and one who has
done so much good for Huntingdon College.”
Huntingdon College, grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition of the United Methodist Church, is
committed to nurturing growth in faith, wisdom, and service and to graduating individuals prepared to
succeed in a rapidly changing world. Founded in 1854, Huntingdon is a coeducational liberal arts college.
The College motto, “Enter to grow in wisdom; go forth to apply wisdom in service,” is inscribed
in stone above the front door of John Jefferson Flowers Hall. Celebrating its centennial year in
Montgomery this year, the campus is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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