Margaret Bradshaw, 106, Passes Away

Margaret I. Bradshaw, CLU, the oldest graduate of The American College, has passed away at age 106. A graduate of The College’s class of 1931, Bradshaw excelled in a profession that, at the time, employed few women as financial advisors.

Born June 12, 1905, in Rhode Island, Bradshaw was a graduate of Trinity College in Washington, D.C. When she graduated from college in 1928, she stumbled upon a career in financial services through a simple pamphlet.

Bradshaw was the only woman in John Hancock’s Providence, R.I., office in the late-'20s and early-'30s. Not only was she the first female agent in the company to receive the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation from The American College, but she also was the first woman in the state, and fourth in the United States, to receive a CLU. Bradshaw founded the Rhode Island Chapter of the Professional and Business Women's Association and became its president as well.

Years ago, Bradshaw said her love for The American College stemmed from its honesty and integrity. She was devoted to the Archdiocese of New York City and numerous non-profits (including elementary schools and churches) in India and Ireland. In addition to being an agent, she gave lectures, wrote articles and taught insurance classes at Rhode Island’s Brown University.

A sundial garden on the campus of The American College was dedicated to Bradshaw in September of 2004 as a symbol of her love for the institution. An office that bears Bradshaw’s name at The American College also recognizes her devotion to life insurance education and promoting independence in the financial field for women. She also anonymously supported needy people in New York City.

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