Dartmouth Honors Barry MacLean's 50 Years of 'Extraordinary' Service

Barry MacLean '60 Th'61 was honored for five decades of service. (Photo by Mark Washburn)

As the the single largest donor in Thayer's 158-year history and among the most generous at Dartmouth, MacLean has directly shaped Thayer's growth and engineering education at the College. 

A longtime champion of Dartmouth's liberal arts-grounded approach to engineering, MacLean has helped establish endowed professorships that have attracted top engineering faculty and provided lead gifts that have led to the construction of pivotal engineering facilities, including the MacLean Engineering Sciences Center and the Class of 1982 Engineering and Computer Science Center. 

The impact of his support extends far beyond engineering—from financial aid to entrepreneurship programs, to athletics, to the donation of his historic map collection to the College.

"This extraordinary history we have as an institution, this extraordinary position we're in right now—it did not come out of nowhere," said Dartmouth President Sian Leah Beilock. "It came because we had leaders and visionaries who committed their time, their resources, and their loyalty to make Dartmouth the special place it is today. I cannot think of a leader who better exemplifies that than Barry MacLean."

"You rarely, if ever, get an opportunity to celebrate an individual who has given 50 years of service, counsel, and generosity to their alma mater," said Thayer's interim dean Douglas Van Citters '99 Th'03 Th'06. "Barry's impact across this institution is nothing short of extraordinary."

To illustrate the scope of MacLean's support for engineering alone, Van Citters described Thayer's significant growth throughout MacLean's years of service. When MacLean first joined the Thayer Board of Advisors in 1976, the School awarded just 65 engineering degrees. By 2025, that number reached 384—a fivefold increase.

Barry MacLean (center), with son Duncan MacLean '94 Th'95 Th'96, daughter-in-law Brooke, granddaughter Rowan MacLean '25, and daughter Gillian MacLean Growdon '95. (Photo by Mark Washburn)

Over the past five decades, MacLean has earned notable accolades from the College, including the Robert Fletcher Award from Thayer in 1989, and the honorary doctorate of humane letters from Dartmouth in 2010. In the 1990s, he chaired the Thayer portion of Dartmouth's "Will to Excel" campaign and served on the executive committee for the "Campaign for the Dartmouth Experience" that raised $1.3 billion by 2009. 

In addition to his ongoing service to the Thayer board, he has also served on Dartmouth's Board of Trustees and has long been a trusted counsel to numerous deans and university leaders. 

MacLean, who studied mechanical engineering as a student at Dartmouth, continues to emphasize the role of service to his children and grandchildren—his daughter Margaret MacLean '87; son Duncan MacLean '94 Th'95 Th'96, who recently joined the Thayer Board in 2025; daughter Gillian MacLean Growdon '95; and granddaughter Rowan MacLean '25 are all Dartmouth graduates.

MacLean (left), with Van Citters, was presented with a painting by local artist Doug Henry of Thayer's new expanded buildings.

Through MacLean-Fogg, the family-owned global manufacturing company that produces engineered mechanical components for the automotive and utility industries around the world, MacLean and his family have created internships, career, and mentorship opportunities for Dartmouth's engineering students.

"Barry's relationship with Thayer isn't casual—it is a passion," said former Thayer Dean Alexis Abramson, now dean of Columbia Climate School. "He sees in this school a reflection of his own values: excellence, ingenuity, and a belief in doing work that matters."

Todd Cook '93 Th'94, current chair of Thayer's Board of Advisors, presented MacLean and his family with a commemorative book filled with reflections from colleagues and friends, and a painting by local artist Doug Henry depicting the engineering buildings that MacLean's gifts have made possible—a symbol of MacLean's significant impact on Dartmouth's evolving landscape. 

The celebration, held over Dartmouth's Homecoming weekend, drew former engineering deans, faculty, and university leaders, including Susan Wright, wife of the late President James Wright, with whom MacLean had served as a Dartmouth Trustee from 1990 to 2000. The evening also included a performance by the Dartmouth Aires and tributes from Thayer board member Charles E. Nearburg '72 Th'73 Th'74 and past board chair Samantha Scollard Truex '92 Th'93 Tu'95.

"Barry has helped us envision a bigger future for engineering education at Dartmouth," Van Citters said. "His generosity and leadership will continue to guide us for generations to come."

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