John F. MacMorran
1924 – 2009

ST. STEPHEN, N.B. — John Folsom MacMorran died Sept. 5, at Charlotte County Hospital.

He was born at St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada, Aug. 17, 1924, son of the late Albert Ernest MacMorran and Olive Folsom MacMorran. On his mother’s side, his great great-grandfather, Benjamin Pomeroy was the first settler on what is now known as Pomeroy Ridge, New Brunswick.

He became a permanent resident of the United States in 1926, when his parents moved to Hill Street in Calais. He became a naturalized American citizen in Laconia, N.H., in 1950. He attended the public schools in Calais, graduated from Calais Academy as valedictorian of the class of 1942. He entered Bowdoin College as one of four state of Maine scholar recipients in September 1942.

For three years consecutively, he was recipient of Charles Irwin Travelli Fund scholarship. He graduated from Bowdoin in June 1946 with a major in French and a minor in Latin. Winner of the Col. William Henry Owen Premium, he also completed graduate work at Ecole Francaise de Middlebury College in the summer of 1949, Boston University Graduate School, College of Liberal Arts, with master of arts degree in French literature, June 1950, Boston University School of Education, courses in school administration and supervision, summer of 1954, University of Maine in Portland, counseling and guidance courses, 1959, counseling institute, Northfield, Mount Hermon School in June 1954, Wisconsin State University, summer 1966, theatre institute.

He was appointed instructor of Latin and French at Tilton School June 1946 to 1951, was director of musical activities, was appointed administrative assistant to the president, Endicott College, September 1951 to June 1953, was appointed headmaster of Leavitt Institute, Turner Center, September 1953 to 1963, returned to Tilton School 1963 as Latin teacher and head of campus living, was chairman of disciplinary committee and was appointed headmaster of Tilton School, April 1971 to 1982.

His travels included Eastern United States, Canada, British Isles, Europe and Russia. His interests were in music, theatre, reading, biography and history, tennis and mountain climbing. He was a member of the Methodist Church, Republicans, Grange, past master of Masons, National Associations of Secondary School Principals, Independent Schoolmasters Association and Kappa Sigma Fraternity.

He was author of “A Letter of John Gulnac” – National Powtry Anthology, “Educational Practices” – Maine State Principals’ Handbook and “Teaching for Today” – Bowdoin Alumnus Magazine. In 1987, he retired to Pomeroy Ridge, N.B, and served as church organist for local churches. He served one term on the local school board, was named trustee of the Charlotte County Museum as well as the St. Croix Historical Society. He was organist at the St. Stephen Presbyterian Church for 15 years.

Since his whole life was in education, he established the Folsom-MacMorran Scholarship for students from Pomeroy, Scotch and Basswood Ridges, where his ancestors came from in the amount of $200,000. Since he went to Bowdoin from Calais, he also had established to honor his mother with the Olive Folsom MacMorran Scholarship in the amount of $350,000, providing financial aid to students from Calais or Washington County.