The life and work of the late Jane MacEachern (right) is being honored by her husband and son, Doug and Taylor MacEachern, with a scholarship in her name at the UM School of Pharmacy. The 1980 Ole Miss pharmacy alumna lost her personal battle with cancer but not before devoting her 39-year professional career to the fight through research and drug trials. Photo courtesy the MacEachern family
OXFORD, Miss. – Armed with a University of Mississippi education, School of Pharmacy alumna and cancer survivor Jane MacEachern devoted her professional career to the fight against cancer through research and drug trials.
To pay tribute to their late wife and mother, Doug MacEachern and his son, Taylor MacEachern, have created the Jane B. MacEachern Memorial Pharmacy Scholarship Endowment to ensure future pharmacy students also gain strong educational foundations.
The scholarships will provide support to students in the UM School of Pharmacy‘s professional program, reflecting Jane MacEachern’s values and longtime commitment to her alma mater.
“We are extremely grateful at the School of Pharmacy for Doug’s generosity and support in this endowment,” said David Allen, the school’s dean. “Jane’s dedication and service to the school, as well as her spirit and compassion, will carry on as it assists our students with financial needs.”
During high school, MacEachern began her first of three personal battles with cancer. While undergoing treatment, she continued twirling her batons for George County High School in her native Lucedale, earned a position in the Mississippi All-State Band and served as pianist and organist for the First Methodist Church of Lucedale.
MacEachern earned a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in 1980. After receiving a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Tennessee, she devoted the majority of her 39-year professional career to designing and implementing oncology drug trials while associated with GlaxoSmithKline and Eisai.
“Jane absolutely loved her career in research,” said Doug MacEachern, of Covington, Louisiana. “She was able to see the big picture when not everyone did. Being a cancer survivor from a young teen, she was able to see things from a perspective that others could not.
“She was diligent and compassionate and always stood up for what was right.”
The couple’s son said his mother’s focus was on service to individuals living with cancer.
“My mom was always willing to get involved, helping to determine a course of action for those who might otherwise be lost in the nightmare of a cancer diagnosis,” U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Taylor MacEachern said.
After graduating and beginning her career, she was an active member of the Ole Miss Alumni Association and served as president of the Pharmacy Alumni Chapter’s board of directors. She died in May 2019.
“From a very early age, Jane had her sights set on attending the university,” Doug MacEachern said. “She considered attending medical school at first but chose the path of pharmacy for her career. So many times, she would say how happy she was to have made the right choice.
Jane MacEachern’s father, the late Horace Bradley, was an Ole Miss graduate in accountancy.
“The University of Mississippi was the enabler for Jane to reach her first goal of receiving an undergraduate in pharmacy,” her husband said. “Our son, Taylor, and I want other students to have the opportunities afforded her.
“We want this endowment to serve as an enabler to achieve dreams and goals for students in the future.”
Port Kaigler, director of development at the School of Pharmacy, described the family’s gift and the late MacEachern’s life as a beacon to Ole Miss students.
“While I never had the opportunity to meet Jane, after reading about her life and her work in designing and implementing oncology drugs and speaking with Doug, I quickly got a sense of how remarkable she was,” he said.
“Thanks to the generosity of Doug and Taylor in establishing this endowment in her memory, Jane’s passion to help others will continue by truly impacting the lives of scholarship recipients.”
The Jane B. MacEachern Memorial Pharmacy Scholarship Endowment is open to support from businesses and individuals. Gifts can be made to by sending a check, with the fund’s name noted on the memo line, to the University of Mississippi Foundation, 406 University Ave., Oxford, MS 38655, or by giving online at https://give.olemiss.edu.
For more information about supporting the School of Pharmacy, contact Port Kaigler at port@olemiss.edu or 662-915-2712.