Mary Anne Carlson Morgan ’70 MA

Since its creation in 1958, the Villanova University Department of Theatre has educated and inspired student-artists pursuing careers from acting and playwriting to dramaturgy and teaching. Through the generous support of donors, the department is fortunate to offer several awards for these budding talents—including the Brian G. ’67, ’70 and Mary Anne Carlson ‘70 Morgan Endowed Scholarship and Award.

Established in memory of Mary Anne’s late husband Brian, the award continues the Villanova story they began together.

Mary Anne first noticed Brian, a fellow graduate Theatre student at Villanova, in the late summer of 1966. She had just moved to the area from St. Charles, Illinois, when she saw him in the University’s production of, “Just a Local Revolution,” a play about the American Revolution written by the founder of the Theatre Department, Dr. Richard Duprey.

“I thought Brian was a gifted actor—I even wrote his name down,” Mary Anne says. “I was already thinking about my first directing project, and I knew that getting the chance to work with an actor like him on it would make a difference.”

The pair did, in fact, meet and bonded over their shared passions. They married at St. Thomas of Villanova Church in June 1970.

Both continued to act and direct after graduation, sometimes together. Mary Anne became the director of Theatre Arts at Radnor High School, while Brian served as a professor of theatre at Penn State and the University of Missouri in Kansas City. Brian eventually devoted himself fully to acting and was well-known in the Philadelphia theatre community and beyond.

After her husband’s passing in 1989, Mary Anne wanted to do something to honor his memory and benefit the theatre community they loved so dearly. Thinking back to their time at Villanova, she knew the perfect fit.

The Brian G. ’67, ’70 and Mary Anne Carlson ‘70 Morgan Endowed Scholarship and Award is presented annually to an outstanding second-year graduate student pursing a Master of Arts in Theatre.

“The recipient is selected by department faculty and staff, so being chosen validates and recognizes the student’s abilities,” she says. “It’s been a pleasure to connect with the awardees and see them grow in their careers.”

For the past 17 years, Mary Anne has devoted countless hours and resources to maintain the award. She hosts an annual fundraising dinner at her home and conducts personal outreach to raise awareness among fellow art lovers.

It was only natural that Mary Anne eventually decided to include a provision in her estate plan to continue her award’s legacy long into the future.

“Theatre changes you as a human being, and for me, that happened at Villanova,” she says. “I hope that through my bequest I will help generations of students have transformative experiences like I did.”

If you would like to learn how you can make a gift to Villanova, like Mary Anne did, please contact Tim McKinley at 215-240-0812 or timothy.mckinley@villanova.edu.