For Love of God and Golf
Mollie Dougherty-Chritton and her husband, Jim
For more than 50 years, Mount Mercy University has held a special place in Mollie Dougherty-Chritton’s heart. She came to campus in 1968 from Dougherty, a small town in northwest Iowa. Dougherty was named for her great-grandfather, Daniel Dougherty, an immigrant from Ireland who founded the town. She flourished within a family and community that fostered a deep sense of pride in her Irish heritage.
After high school, Mollie applied for and was granted a scholarship from Mount Mercy. That sealed the deal! The Sisters of Mercy had her devotion and loyalty forever. They instilled in her all the principles of their mission to unite people with opportunity through high-quality, values-based education. The friendships she made at Mount Mercy are more like family and continue to enrich her daily life.
As a women’s liberal arts college, Mount Mercy had no sports program during her freshman and sophomore years. They did, however, have ballet, dress dinners, many rules and hours.
She pursued a degree in Spanish, fueling a love of languages she holds to this day. She and her husband have traveled the world experiencing the qualities and beauty of other cultures.
Mollie treasures her Catholic faith and credits Mount Mercy with reinforcing that faith. Her husband, Jim, converted to Catholicism, and together they share and practice their strong religious beliefs.
Mount Mercy also gave Mollie a resilient work ethic, which she applied during her 35 years as a sales representative with Econoprint in Madison, Wisconsin. Mollie never met a stranger, and her gift for developing relationships no doubt contributed to her successful and fulfilling career. Her love of golf didn’t hurt either.
Mollie knew she wanted to invest in others in a way that connected with her own interests and values—her love of family, God and golf. She found the perfect fit when she chose to establish the Mollie Dougherty-Chritton ’72 Endowed Scholarship at Mount Mercy in memory of her brother, Bernard Robert Dougherty.
The scholarship provides support for female student athletes from Iowa, with preference given to members of the Mount Mercy University golf team. She believes this new scholarship is especially fitting during the 50th anniversary of Title IX, and she is pleased to know that Mount Mercy now has more than 18 sports in which students may participate.
Jim and Mollie also have arranged to enhance the scholarship by including Mount Mercy in their estate plan. They hope that recipients of this scholarship will maximize their time at Mount Mercy as Mollie did.
If you have interest in impacting others through education, contact Lonna Drewelow at 319-286-4408 or ldrewelow@mtmercy.edu to explore how you can maximize your charitable giving through Mount Mercy University. Build your legacy and support what matters most to you and your family.