In Memoriam: Eileen McGrath

Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • September 20, 2021

The MMA and Nantucket have lost a true, devoted friend and mentor. Miss McGrath as many of us knew her, was one-of-a kind. She touched so many of us, was so involved in the civic life and non-profits of this island, and valued and believed in her community and the people who make it what it is. She was a fixture at Town meeting (and always in the same seat) and behind the desk at the Atheneum once she retired from the Lincoln School in Rhode Island where she taught science – to some young women who called Nantucket home year-round or in summer.


I did not call Miss McGrath, “Eileen,” until well into my time on the Coffin School Trustees. When I first was asked to join, I remember her telling me, “You’re on the Trustees until you die!” She wasn’t really joking. And that tells you a bit about her personality.


My growing up at the MMA allowed me to be surrounded by incredible women – many of them, like Eileen, now gone. The stories they would tell; the things they did. Each and every one was truly an amazing person who is now a part of me.


I came to know Eileen better when I became an adult – though I never felt like one with her. Not that she didn’t treat me like an adult but she is fifty years older than me. Oh the stories she would tell me and the laugh – she had this great laugh and a smile that tended to drop more on her lower jaw and was deep and wide. 


She was for many years, the MMA’s Director of Natural Science. She would teach at the Lincoln School during the year and return home to Nantucket and the MMA for the summer. She held many roles at the MMA before that time, including working in the MMA Science Library (now Research Center). And, when young, she was taken under the wing of our first astronomer, Margaret Harwood, who made sure that Eileen was able to go to college – Miss Harwood’s alma mater – Radcliffe. I remember Eileen telling me that Miss Harwood just went up to summer people she knew and said something to the effect of, “This girl got into Radcliffe and you need to help with her tuition.” Straight, to the point, sort of like Eileen was.


I don’t know how she found the time to do all that she did – so many boards and committees. She was an incredibly intelligent woman who really knew the answers – and if not, how to get there. She served on the MMA’s board for many years after she retired as NatSci director and other non-profits were graced with her knowledge, wisdom, and her willingness to roll up her sleeves – from the Nantucket Land Council, to the Coffin School Trustees, to the Community Foundation for Nantucket. She had a way to calm people down when things got a little heated – I was witness to that at least once. It was sort of the teacher voice that I think came through.


She was forever in a bucket hat – I remember one with a kelly green file ribbon that was attached to it. Wrap around skirts and sturdy sneakers. Once, she was having a hard time backing out of the MMA driveway at our administrative offices and I remember her saying to me, “You think you can back that out for me?” “Sure,” (gulp) I said! Terrified that with her watching me, I was going to back into the car that had parked too close to her. Mind you, I was about 35 or so at the time! 


She touched so many lives –children, students, interns, assistants at the MMA. What an incredible mentor.  She still went to Lincoln School reunions until her health didn’t allow that anymore. I was in awe of her – and all she did – and I still am. We should all take a lesson from Eileen about dedication, passion, and giving back. Wherever she is, she has a nice late day whiskey in hand watching out over her island. Thank you, Eileen.


The step, however small, which is in advance of the world, shows the greatness of the person, whether that step be taken with brain, with heart, or with hands. – Maria Mitchell


JNLF

July 14, 2025
NANTUCKET, MA— The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) announces Kike Calvo, award-winning photographer, journalist, and author, as its featured presenter for its July Speaker Series. Calvo’s presentation, "The Power of Creativity: A Journey Through Storytelling, Exploration, and Hope," will take place on Wednesday, July 23 at 7pm at the Nantucket Atheneum’s Great Hall. This event is free. Join the MMA for an engaging evening with award-winning photographer, journalist, and author, Kike (Kee-Keh) Calvo. A Fellow of both the Explorers Club and the Royal Geographical Society, he has traveled to over 120 countries, photographing everything from belugas in the Arctic to traditional dances in Vanuatu. His work has been featured in National Geographic Magazine, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and more. In this engaging presentation, Calvo explores how creativity can be a catalyst for connection, storytelling, and meaningful change. From documenting remote villages to diving with great white sharks, from defying the odds as an author to inspiring thousands of children in the Amazon, Calvo shares the invaluable lessons he has learned along the way. As a National Geographic Certified Educator and Safina Center Fellow (2020-2023), Calvo combines his passion for photography with teaching, having lectured at prestigious institutions such as Yale University. A pioneer in drone photography for art and conservation, he founded the “Little Explorer, Big World” initiative, which brings education to remote communities and has donated over 35,000 bilingual books. Described by anthropologist Wade Davis as, "a fresh voice in visual anthropology," Calvo has a gift for capturing the intersections of human existence. Calvo’s new book, Luminous: A Field Guide for Visual Explorers and Storytellers, isn’t just a book—it’s an invitation to slow down, look deeper, and photograph with soul. It’s a roadmap where photography meets presence, anthropology meets art, and storytelling becomes a path to connection.  Discover how creativity can illuminate pressing global issues—such as plastic pollution—and empower each of us to make a difference. This presentation is free and open to the public, graciously hosted for the MMA by the Nantucket Atheneum in the Great Hall. No registration required. About the Maria Mitchell Association: The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. The Maria Mitchell Association operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, a research center, and preserves the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for people of all ages. ###
By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger July 14, 2025
As we are now complete with the conservation of the historic Maria Mitchell Vestal Street Observatory (MMO), I thought it would be good to post a series of blogs concerning it history and activities, as well as some of the remarkable people who have made it what it is over the last 100 plus years. Therefore, over the next few weeks, the focus will be on the MMO. And it is now open for tours – Monday through Saturday 11-1PM. In 1906, the MMA was given Maria Mitchell’s five-inch Alvan Clark telescope which Mitchell purchased with money raised by the Women of America in 1859. With the telescope, a fireproof observatory was needed to house it and the activities surrounding its use. A campaign was developed to raise the funds for an observatory and in approximately four months, a small observatory was built at a cost of $4,800.00. Completed in 1908, the Maria Mitchell Observatory now was in need of a permanent astronomer. An Observatory Committee was developed and chaired by Annie Jump Cannon. From 1909 through 1911, the MMA was able to employ an astronomer to teach classes, observe, provide lectures, and open the observatory for public observing for approximately a month each summer. As the demand grew, the MMA realized that a more extensive program was needed and the Astronomical Fellowship Committee began to raise funds for an Astronomical Fellowship Fund. With the support of many generous donors and a matching gift from Andrew Carnegie, by 1911 the MMA had the funds it needed to support the fellowship and began its search for an astronomer who would conduct research, provide lectures and classes, and conduct open nights for the public from mid-June through mid-December. The fellow would spend the remainder four months in research and study – every fourth year a full year of study would be spent in an American or European observatory. JNLF
By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger July 7, 2025
July 31, 1883. I had two or three rich days! On Friday last I went to Holderness, N.H.. to the Asquam House; I had been asked by Mrs. T to join her party. There was at this house Mr. Whittier, Mr., and Mrs. Cartland, Professor and Mrs. Johnson, of Yale . . . The house seemed full of fine, cultivate people. We stayed two days and a half. And first of the scenery. The road up to the house is a steep hill, and at the foot of the hill it winds and turns around two lakes. The panorama is complete one hundred and eighty degrees. Beyond the lakes lie the mountains.  The Asquam House sat atop Shepard Hill and was built in 1881. A hotel, it has space for fifty guests, it was located near Squam Lake and became part of a summer enclave that developed there in the later part of the nineteenth century. Today, the area is a National Historic Landmark, but sadly, the hotel was demolished in 1948. Maria would have been familiar with these people seen here – and others I did not include – but particularly John Greenleaf Whittier who was something of a family friend. He was close to one of her younger brothers, William Forester. JNLF
Show More