Mary Josephine McMenamin was born in Sunderland, County Durham, England, on the 7th April, 1907 . Her father, Francis Charles Cleary, was a newspaper correspondent. She began studying at the University of Glasgow , Scotland, in 1924 taking classes in English, French (Higher Ordinary) and History. In 1925-6 she studied French and Botany and for session 1926-7 she studied Moral Philosophy, English (Higher) and Italian. She graduated MA in 1927 . She married William Neil Francis McMenamin, a school master, on the 2nd January,1934. Returning to Glasgow University in 1968 , she became the first Roman Catholic female student admitted to the Faculty of Divinity. She studied Ecclesiastical History and Pastoral Theology. In 1969-70 she studied Old & New Testament Language and Literature and Systematic Theology. In 1970-71 she studied Ecclesiastical History and Pastoral Theology and in 1971-72 studied further Ecclesiastical History and Pastoral Theology. Mary graduated with a BD in 1972 .She died on 7 Nov 1991
From the guide to the Papers of Mary Josephine McMenamin (née Cleary), 1907 -1991, arts and divinity graduate, University of Glasgow, Scotland, 1958-1971, (Glasgow University Archive Services)
