Meryle Mahrer Kaplan was in my first class on the first day of my first week at Douglass College. English 101 with Robert Crozier. I got a C—Meryle probably got an A. We were friends for 57 years. It is hard to find the words to describe a lifelong friendship. They are indistinguishable from getting up in the morning and looking at yourself in the mirror. No matter where, when, or who you are with or what you are doing, a lifelong friend is beside you. She knows your parents and the backstory that made you who you are and for me, Meryle accepted every mistake in judgment, every talent unsung, every effort failed and every milestone no matter how forgettable. 

Her criticism was gentle and on the mark, her laughter frequent, her smile radiant, her personality playful and her personal style elegant. Relief of loneliness was always a phone call away. Food was always being readied. We knew each other through friends and lovers, only sons born decades apart, books written decades apart on such diverse topics (or maybe not) as motherhood and fashion. Her career reflected her impact on the empowerment of American women in the 20th and 21st centuries. 

Meryle earned a B.A. in Psychology from Douglass and went on to get a Masters in Anthropology at UCONN. Her doctorate at Columbia was in Developmental Psychology. She taught graduate courses in Women’s Studies at Columbia and was the Founder of the Women’s Center at William Paterson University. From 1999 to 2016, Meryle worked at Catalyst, a global non-profit dedicated to supporting women in the workplace. Meryle had many roles at Catalyst including Vice President, advising organizations, working closely with client leaders and diverse employees, and serving as a member of the Executive Committee. 

There is a song by Stephen Sondheim—there’s always a song by Sondheim—entitled "No One is Alone". The lines from the Broadway musical Into the Woods read, in part, Sometimes people leave you/Halfway through the wood…You are not alone/Believe me/No one is alone/Something’s bound to linger/No one is alone. Meryle’s legacy through her new fund at Douglass will not just linger but nurture and empower the ones who will follow her lead. 

We will miss Meryle. This fund honoring Meryle will leave a lasting legacy in her memory. You can give to it here: Meryle Mahrer Kaplan DC’68 Program Fund for Douglass Students.