Mary Lasher

Mary Lasher is my teacher.  She has an AB and MA in History from Duke. Early in her career she taught high school honors classes in US and world history. She taught at the University of Alabama and pursued post-graduate studies at Vanderbilt University, she was an instructor at Furman University and later worked as curriculum specialist in Greenville County School District. After her brilliant career in academics, she retired in Asheville in 1997.  Since then, she’s taught many many courses at UNCA/OLLI’s College For Seniors and is a past president of Asheville Sister Cities and Asheville’s AAUW.

These days, Mary still packs ’em in for her courses at OLLI.  We love her long narratives on geography, politics and historical characters.  She gives context and meaning to history and not much homework.  Most of all, we hang on those occasional editorial morsels about life’s issues and any mentions of her rock-star-OLLI-instructor-and-scholar-partner, Tom.

She and Tom host wonderful parties at their Deltec round home up in the NE hills above Asheville.  Her most recent course (such a modest title) inspired the illustration below.  I’m a huge fan (hoping for a passing grade.)