Mary McGeachy

Mary McGeachy Schuller (7 November 1901 – 2 November 1991) was of Canadian nationality, a British diplomat and international civil servant.

McGeachy in Maclean's, 1942

Biography

Mary McGeachy was born as Mary Craig McGeachy on 7 November 1901 in Sarnia, Ontario to Scottish-Canadian parents.^[1] Her father was a gospel hall preacher.^[2][3]

She graduated from the University of Toronto in 1924. She completed her studies in law and history with distinction. She briefly taught in a high school at Hamilton, Ontario.^[2] Her work experiences at International Student Service in the University of Toronto helped her to get a job as a senior assistant at Information Section of the League of Nations Secretariat in Geneva in 1928.^[4][1][5] During her service of more than a decade with the League of Nations, she worked as a liaison officer for the British Dominions. After the dissolution of the League of Nations in 1940, she joined, a temporary diplomatic post,^[6] the public relations department of the British Ministry of Economic Warfare.^[7][8]

In 1942, following her appointment as the first secretary of the British embassy in Washington, she became “the first woman to be given British diplomatic rank.” ^[1] She was appointed as a Director to lead the newly created Welfare Division of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration(UNRRA) in 1944.^[9] Since 1946, she was actively engaged in promoting women's welfare and rights. She was associated with International Council of Women (ICW), and served its president from 1963 to 1973.^[2]

She married Viennese-born banker Erwin Schuller.^[10]

She died in New York City on 2 November 1991.^{[citation needed]}