Celebrating Women in Dermatology: The Enduring Influence of Marianne O’Donoghue, MD

Marianne Nelson O’Donoghue, MD, was a highly respected dermatologist, educator, and national leader in her field. A graduate of Trinity College and Georgetown University, she completed her medical training at Northwestern University, University of Chicago, and University of Cincinnati. She served as an associate professor at Rush University and was repeatedly honored as Teacher of the Year.

She held numerous leadership roles, including president of the Chicago Dermatological Society, Illinois Dermatological Society, Women's Dermatologic Society, Noah Worcester Dermatological Society, and American Dermatological Association; and she served as vice president of the American Academy of Dermatology. She authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications and served as editor-in-chief of Dialogues in Dermatology. Her honors included the Founders Award, the Dermatology Foundation Practitioner of the Year Award, and the Chicago Dermatological Society Gold Medal (2018).

While at Trinity College, she sang in the choir at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy, preparing under Frank Sinatra and Leonard Bernstein, and was a classmate of Nancy Pelosi.

Above all, she was a devoted wife to her husband Kevin for over 60 years, a loving mother of 4, grandmother of 14, and a devout Catholic whose life reflected faith, service, and dedication to family and medicine.

Marianne said “yes” to challenges and opportunities. Those “yesses” helped her fly a plane, have children during medical school and residency, become a great books leader, play competitive tennis, cheer from the benches when her children were playing, inspire our babysitters to become professional women, and lead most people she knew to a higher plane. Her prayer for all those she loved is that we all enjoy the path to reach our full potential! Her enthusiasm for life was an incredible gift.

Dermatology Times would like to thank Michael O’Donoghue, MD, for authoring this piece on his mother, Marianne, to honor her during Women’s History Month. Marianne passed on December 26, 2024, after a life full of new experiences, care for others, and a love for the field. What woman has most influenced your life or career—and why? We'll be sharing answers all month long, and we’d love to hear your story.