McDonogh and The Meurers: A Family Story

Ruth and Charles “Buck” Meurer wanted nothing more than for their three sons to have the best education possible. The hard-working couple, he a Baltimore City firefighter and she a secretary, were focused on advancing the next generation. They valued academics as a launch pad and were committed to their children’s future success. When the oldest, Tom ’76, was in middle school, they learned about McDonogh’s scholarship program and applied. He was accepted and enrolled as a freshman in 1972. Dave ’79 joined him the following year as a seventh grader, and it was only a matter of time before the youngest, Paul ’83, became an Eagle like his older brothers. As scholarship students, boarding was a requirement, and McDonogh became their home away from home.

As Ruth and Buck had dreamed, their sons thrived both in the classroom and in sports. In the 11 years that there was at least one Meurer boy at McDonogh, their parents were a familiar presence on the sidelines and at as many of their sons’ events as possible. Tragically, in June of 1981, Ruth was killed

in an automobile accident. Paul, a sophomore at the time shares, “She dropped me off in the parking lot behind Allan Building, and I said, ‘I love you. I’ll see you tonight,’ because that night was Awards Night. She died less than 30 minutes later.”

The McDonogh Family immediately rallied around Paul, who was present for the Awards Night program. “I wanted to be around my friends. I needed the support of my peers,” he recalls. The event began with heartfelt remarks about Ruth from Director of Religious Studies John Grega who was also a family friend. Paul won two awards that night including the Leadership Award—an honor he earned each of his four years in the Upper School. When he accepted the honors, the crowd rose from their seats with applause—a demonstration of their love and support. “I had been around McDonogh for about 10 years, so I knew all the teachers, coaches, and the older kids who were classmates of my brother. It was what I really needed that night,” Paul says. In the aftermath of that day, the care from the McDonogh Family and the closeness of the Meurer family were essential to Paul’s well-being and adjustment during a fragile time in his life.

Just as Ruth and Buck hoped, their children’s education was a launching pad, and the boys became the first in their family to earn college degrees. In 2000, Paul established the Ruth Flora & Charles Roland Meurer Scholarship at McDonogh in their parents’ honor. “My mom and dad dreamed of a life for their sons that would be filled with unlimited opportunity. They knew that the bridge to that kind of life was education. With the McDonogh Scholarship Program, their dream was fulfilled,” he says, adding that he believes in paying it forward and encourages young people to do the same. Paul says he tells them, “Someone gave me the opportunity. Someone helped me financially where I wouldn’t have had access otherwise. Even if you can’t do it financially, pay it forward with your time and dedication to your school.”

Paul shared this advice and other life lessons from his time at McDonogh with donors and scholarship recipients at a luncheon in 2007. He spoke about the importance of gratitude, implored the students to be proud of their accomplishments, and reminded them of their responsibility to the School, their family, and themselves to take advantage of the opportunities McDonogh affords. He closed with a personal story that took place in November 1981 during the football game against Gilman. It had only been five months since his mother’s death, he was a junior playing on the varsity team, and his father and brothers were holding the downs markers and chains on the sideline. “I was playing my favorite sport…in the Gilman game…in front of hundreds of McDonogh teachers and friends…only 20 feet away from the three most important people in my life,” he told the audience.

In his senior year, Paul was co-captain of the football team. He won both the Scholar-Athlete Award and the McCormick Unsung Hero Award.

Late in the fourth quarter, with the score tied, Paul says his helmet collided with another player’s and he was knocked to the ground. With the luncheon guests hanging onto his every word, he described the scene, “As I lay there staring up at the sky, I could only hear the voices of my Dad and two brothers from the sideline. Tom yelled, ‘Get up, you wimp, it’s the Gilman game.’” Paul says with that, he got up. “I had a responsibility to my team, my coaches, McDonogh, my family, and most importantly, I had a responsibility to myself to stay in the game.”

While the 1981 McDonogh vs. Gilman game goes down in history as one of the most exciting in the rivalry (the Eagles won in double overtime), from Paul’s perspective, the experience on the field illustrated a number of important life lessons that he shared at the 2007 Scholarship Luncheon. He said, “Accept the responsibility…push yourself…get help from your teachers and coaches, your family and friends…learn from them and learn to trust and depend on them…but accept responsibility to make the most of this great opportunity you have as a McDonogh scholarship student. Let McDonogh become a home away from home as it is for me.”

—Meredith Bower