Dedication to trailblazer: Part of Irving St. dedicated to education advocate Ogretta McNeil

Veer Mudambi, Worcester Telegram & Gazette
·2 min read
John, right, and Robert Vaughn, sons of Ogretta V. McNeil, with longtime friend Gloria Dhall of Worcester, look over the honorary street sign bearing their mother's name.
John, right, and Robert Vaughn, sons of Ogretta V. McNeil, with longtime friend Gloria Dhall of Worcester, look over the honorary street sign bearing their mother's name.

WORCESTER — A portion of Irving Street between Austin and Pleasant streets was dedicated to a Worcester trailblazer and education advocate Ogretta V. McNeil.

District 4 City Councilor Sarai Rivera and Councilor-at-Large Khyrstian King filed an honorary street petition with the City Council for Dr. Ogretta V. McNeil Way to honor her contributions to the city and community.

The new street sign was unveiled Monday in a special ceremony at the Worcester School Administration building at 20 Irving St. with remarks by Rivera and King, along with Mayor Joseph M. Petty, City Manager Eric D. Batista and McNeil’s two sons.

City Councilor Khrystian King, left, and Mayor Joseph Petty discover that the wind really wanted to unveil the honorary street sign to Ogretta V. McNeil before the ceremony Monday.
City Councilor Khrystian King, left, and Mayor Joseph Petty discover that the wind really wanted to unveil the honorary street sign to Ogretta V. McNeil before the ceremony Monday.

“She was a warrior for justice,” said Rivera.

McNeil taught at the College of the Holy Cross for 27 years, where she became the first African-American woman to serve on the faculty and the first woman hired to a tenure track position in the psychology department. She was remembered for her advocacy for diversity and inclusion, being instrumental in a number of initiatives that last to this day.

McNeil received her masters and doctorate degrees from Clark University, completing her masters as a single mother of two young children following the sudden death of her husband.

City officials, friends and family members unveil the honorary street sign to Dr. Ogretta V. McNeil Monday.
City officials, friends and family members unveil the honorary street sign to Dr. Ogretta V. McNeil Monday.

“For most Black people, education is so critical as a way out,” said her son, Rev. John H. Vaugh. “My mother embodied that and she was committed to that.”

In 2008, McNeil was one of three individuals honored at the 40th anniversary celebration of the Black Student Union for her work in creating a more welcoming environment for Black students at Holy Cross.

John, right, and Robert Vaughn, sons of Ogretta V. McNeil, talk about their late mother during the ceremony.
John, right, and Robert Vaughn, sons of Ogretta V. McNeil, talk about their late mother during the ceremony.

Though he did not meet McNeil, Batista said he feels a connection to her as another “first” in Worcester alongside King. Being the first person of color to be City Manager of Worcester, he said, “would not have happened without her advocacy, her tenacity and her commitment to social justice.

“Thank you to her family for sharing your mother and thank you Dr. McNeil for everything you have provided this city and this community,” he said.

McNeil died Oct. 5, 2016, at the age of 84.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Part of Irving St. dedicated to education advocate Ogretta McNeil