Mourning the Loss of Longtime Gordon and Barrington Community Member Dr. Marion Bean

Longtime member of the Gordon and Barrington community Dr. Marion T. Bean ’48PBI ’50B passed away on May 22.

Bean began her long career in Christian education at Barrington College in 1956, where she was director and professor of business and economics as well as chairperson of the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Bean taught at her alma mater until 1985, when Barrington merged with Gordon College. She continued at Gordon as director of media and professor of education until her retirement in 1991. 

In 1999 Bean was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award for a lifetime of service to Gordon College, its community and mission. Bean is remembered by many for being ahead of her time and for playing a key role in facilitating a peaceful merger between Barrington and Gordon.

A graduate of Barrington College, then called Providence Bible College, Bean went on to earn her M.Ed. and Ed.D. at Boston University. In 1977 her doctoral research was one of three projects from around the U.S. selected for presentation at the National Business Education Conference. 

Outside of academia she served faithfully at her church for five decades, where she lent her support and leadership to education and counseling initiatives.

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