GREENBRIER COUNTY W.Va. (WVDN) – On March 12, 2025, at the Culture Center in Charleston, Dr. Mary Montgomery Lindquist received an award as a History Hero of West Virginia from the Archives and History Commission. She was nominated by the Greenbrier Historical Society where she has been a board member for more than 10 years.
She was recognized for her leadership and participation on various committees and is currently a member of the Membership, Education, and Home Tour Committees. Al Emch, President of the Greenbrier Historical Society, said, “It is an honor to work with Mary to preserve local history. She is an outstanding partner in this effort.”
After graduating from Greenbrier College for Women, Lindquist continued her college at UNC in Chapel Hill, where many Greenbrier College students went through the years, then received a MA in mathematics at Southern Methodist University and later a PhD from the University of Madison. In between, she taught junior high in Maryland, college at Mary Washington College, and high school in Rome, Italy.
She remained active in many organizations over the years and served as president of the National Council of Mathematics Education, the largest mathematics teacher organization. She served many years on the mathematics item development of National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), and on TIMSS from the rebirth of international mathematics assessment in the early 90s until 2024.
Mary and her husband Paul fell in love with each other and with renovating old houses. They returned to Lewisburg in 2004 and renovated her family home, Montwell. It was the home that her parents, John and Edith Montgomery, restored in the 1940s and is one of the oldest brick homes in Lewisburg. The house was often the site of teas for the college students. Later they redid the Hunter House (their 14th house), which was used for Greenbrier College faculty housing in the late 60s but had fallen into great disrepair when the state received the property after the college closed.
The Lindquists have followed the tradition of opening Montwell to guests. It has frequently been available for tours and she and Paul have hosted many fundraisers and private dinners to further the cause of historic preservation in the area. Margaret Hambrick, Secretary of the Greenbrier Historical Society, said, “Having attended many of the events at Montwell, I know there are no more gracious hosts than Mary and Paul.”
