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June 13, 1999

Dr. Gloria M. Shatto, Berry College�s sixth president passed away Sunday, June 13, 1999 in Rome. Dr. Shatto served as the college�s president from January 1, 1980, until her retirement on May 31, 1998, when she became president emerita. At the time of her appointment, she was the first woman to serve as president of a college or university in Georgia. �Gloria Shatto was a dear friend and a mentor to me personally, and she was a great leader at Berry College for two decades,� said Dr. Scott Colley, Berry president. �All of us will miss her. She created a legacy at Berry College that will last.� Previously, Dr. Shatto had served as George R. Brown Professor of Business and Economics at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Before going to Trinity as a distinguished professor in 1977, she served for four years as associate dean and professor of economics at Georgia Tech'� College of Management. Earlier, she was associate professor of economics at the University of Houston. A native of Houston, Texas she earned her bachelor�s degree with honors in economics at Rice University in Houston, and she taught for four years in the Houston public schools. She held a position in market research for Exxon (the Humble Oil and Refining Company) in Houston and later earned her doctorate in economics at Rice. Her honors and fellowship include Phi Beta Kappa (Rice University), American Association of University Women Fellowship, and Organization of American States Fellowship. She was named by Georgia Tech students as the �Outstanding Administrator� in 1974, Rice University named her �Distinguished Alumna� in 1987. In 1994, she was named as one of Georgia Trend magazine�s �100 Most Powerful and Influential Georgians.� �Gloria Shatto will be dearly missed,� said A. W. �Bill� Dahlberg, chairman and CEO of the Southern Company. �She was a dynamic woman of great vision and a dedicated board member who has helped both Georgia Power and Southern Company grow and succeed through her outstanding service.� During Dr. Shatto�s tenure as president, Berry received academic accolades as well as recognition as one of American�s best values in higher education: 11 listings in U. S. News and World Report�s �America�s best College�s� seven listings in Peterson�s Competitive Colleges: Top Colleges for Top Students, a listing in The New York Times �Best Buys in College Education,� and six consecutive listings in Money magazine�s �The 100 Best College Buys.� Under her leadership a strategic planning effort that focused on the college�s mission of academic achievement, student work opportunity, and religious life opportunities resulted in 2002 Centennial Vision, the college�s strategic plan. Dr. Shatto is survived by her husband, Robert J. Shatto, a graduate of the University of Houston and a retired electrical engineer, and two sons, Donald and David. The family requests memorial contributions be made to Robert and Gloria Shatto Scholarship Fund at Berry College. A memorial service was held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 15, 1999 in the Berry College Chapel.

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