Sister M. Marcella Ripper, 72, a member of the Sisters of Christian Charity, served as dean and president of Mallinckrodt College in Wilmette from 1967 to 1987.
She died Friday in Evanston Hospital.
The school, named after Pauline von Mallinckrodt, the founder of the Sisters of Christian Charity, was opened in 1917 as a novitiate and house of formation for members of that religious congregation. In 1969, under Sister Marcella’s leadership, it was turned into a junior college for women. Later, it admitted men and then in 1991 became part of Loyola University.
The reason for opening the college to the public was expressed in a 1969 article in the Tribune, in which one of the sisters stated, “They need a junior college so badly here and keep defeating it at the polls. We have the facilities to offer and decided to make them available.”
At Mallinckrodt, Sister Marcella sought and obtained North Central accreditation and expanded the school’s curriculum to four years.
She had earned a bachelor’s, a master’s and a Ph.D. in history at Loyola University.
Sister Marcella taught in elementary schools throughout the Midwest. She taught social studies at St. Gregory and Josephinum High Schools from 1958 to 1965.
In 1975, she served on the commission for the revision of her congregation constitution and from 1989 until she had a stroke in 1994, she was councilor to the congregation’s superior general in Rome.
“She had an easy style and was a great leader,” Sister Margaret Mary Theissen, a member of the order, said. “She worked for excellence in everything and was really nice to get along with.”
Survivors include a sister, Genevieve Schulte; and three brothers, Bob, Dick and Dave.
Visitation will start at 7 p.m. Monday in the Mallinckrodt Chapel, 1041 Ridge Rd., Wilmette.
Mass will be said there 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.
