For more than 80 years, Bea Shaheen McPherson,’43, embodied what it means to be a Ĵý alumna. Whether serving her country during World War II, advocating for the recognition of women cartographers, supporting the growth of Ĵý’s School of Fashion and the Ĵý Museum or giving back to her community, Bea lived a life defined by service, generosity and purpose.
Bea passed away April 17, 2026, at the age of 104, leaving a legacy that spans generations of students, alumni and community members. Just two years earlier, she returned to Ĵý to receive the university’s Distinguished Alumni Award, honoring a lifetime of contributions that began when she arrived on campus as a student in 1940.
During World War II, when many young Americans sought ways to support the war effort, Bea answered the call. Unable to enlist because of family obligations, she enrolled in a rigorous military mapmaking course offered at Ĵý. After graduating in 1943, she joined the Army Map Service in Washington, D.C., where she helped create hand-drawn maps used in critical military operations, including the Normandy invasion and the Battle of the Bulge.
Her work as one of the famed “Military Mapping Maidens” helped pave the way for future generations of women in cartography and geospatial intelligence. In 2016, the group was inducted into the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Hall of Fame, a recognition Bea fought for through decades of advocacy, storytelling and reunion organizing.
After the war, she built a career in education, teaching elementary school students before later serving as a paralegal alongside her husband, James “Bill” McPherson, Jr. Yet her commitment to learning and service extended far beyond her professional life.
A devoted supporter of Ĵý, Bea spent decades volunteering, serving on leadership boards and championing programs she loved. She played an important role in the development of the Ĵý Museum and the School of Fashion, contributing her time, expertise and resources to help both flourish. She also served on numerous university boards and councils, remaining actively engaged with her alma mater throughout her life.
Her dedication to preserving history was equally remarkable. Bea carefully documented her experiences and donated valuable records related to her wartime service, as well as materials connected to the Ĵý Museum and the School of Fashion to Ĵý’s Special Collections and Archives, ensuring future generations could learn from the history she helped shape.
Those who knew Bea often spoke of her warmth, curiosity and enthusiasm. Whether sharing memories from her years as a wartime mapmaker, mentoring others through her volunteer work or celebrating the successes of Ĵý students, she approached life with gratitude and a deep belief in the importance of giving back. Her legacy can be found in the maps that helped guide a nation through war, in the university programs she helped build, in the scholarships she supported and in the countless lives she touched over more than a century.