McPherson, who is known for her commitment to liberal arts and higher education for women, was awarded the University of Delaware Medal of Distinction in 1984 and became a member of its Wall of Fame in 1991. It was at Delaware that she taught her first class as a philosophy instructor, saying at a later date that teaching at UD “was an experience I came to value.”
As sixth president of Bryn Mawr, McPherson led the college through a period of growth in the number and diversity of its students. Joining the Bryn Mawr faculty in 1961, she served in several positions before becoming president, and she also received her doctorate there. According to a profile appearing while president in the Philadelphia Inquirer, McPherson won “kudos for leadership, unflagging energy, patience and an ability to create consensus.”
After leaving Bryn Mawr, from 1997-2007, McPherson served as vice president and as program officer for the liberal arts colleges program of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, an influential philanthropic supporter of higher education.
McPherson holds numerous honorary degrees and has served on a variety of boards of organizations and schools, including Amherst College, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the Brookings Institution and others. She presently chairs the board of trustees at Smith College, where she received her undergraduate degree. She was elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1993.
Elected to APS in 1983, McPherson has been an active member, working on many committees and for its fundraising program and serving as a vice president for six years.
Founded in 1745 by Benjamin Franklin and others, APS is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States, promoting knowledge in the sciences and humanities through scholarly research.