In Memoriam: Mary Upjohn Meader
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| Edwin and Mary Upjohn Meader |
The Depression Center lost a very dear friend and supporter when Mary Upjohn Meader passed away on Sunday, March 16 at the age of 91. Mrs. Meader (born Rachel Mary Upjohn in Kalamazoo in 1916) was one of eleven grandchildren of Dr. William E. Upjohn, the founder of the Upjohn Pharmaceutical Company. Besides being the beloved wife for 41 years of Mr. Edwin Meader (until his death in 2007), the loving mother of Christopher, Timothy, John and Rudolph Light, grandmother to seven and great-grandmother to five, Mary was an accomplished pilot, photographer, world traveler, philanthropist, volunteer, and an Upjohn Company board member.
Mary and Ed Meader were very generous donors to the University of Michigan Depression Center. Their gift of $10 million in 2004 supported the construction of the beautiful U-M Health System facility, the Rachel Upjohn Building, which bears Mary Meader's birth name, as well as the name of her grandmother. The Rachel Upjohn Building, which opened in 2006, houses the Depression Center and the University of Michigan's Ambulatory Psychiatry programs. In addition to this landmark gift, Mary and Ed Meader contributed funds for the Rachel Upjohn Professorship of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, currently held by John F. Greden, M.D., the Depression Center's Executive Director; the Rachel Upjohn Clinical Scholars Award Program that supports the research of young investigators focusing on depressive illnesses; and additional generous financial support for Dr. Greden's research. Most recently, Mrs. Meader provided a gift to establish the John F. Greden, M.D. Professorship in Depression and Clinical Neuroscience.
Mrs. Meader was passionate about improving our understanding and treatment of depression, bipolar disorder. She had special interest in learning more about their genetic underpinnings and their linkages with pain. She envisioned the Depression Center as a wonderful legacy, and once said, "It is my hope that the Depression Center will improve treatments and be a model for the rest of the country." We mourn the loss of a great friend and supporter, and will continue our mission with her as a source of inspiration.
In the press:
Mary Meader's life was one of caring, giving
Kalamazoo Gazette, Friday, March 21, 2008
