Barbara R. Hatton
Barbara R. Hatton (1940 or 1941 – November 3, 2025) was an American academic administrator who broke barriers in higher education. Born in LaGrange, Georgia and raised in Atlanta, she was inspired by Mary McLeod Bethune as a teenager. Hatton earned a B.S. in psychology and mathematics from Howard University, an M.A. in education from Atlanta University, and an M.E.A. in business and education and a Ph.D. in education from Stanford University.
Her career spanned teaching and leadership roles at Stanford University, the University of the District of Columbia, Tuskegee University (where she became the first woman dean of the School of Education), Atlanta University, and the Ford Foundation.
Hatton made history as the first female president of South Carolina State University, serving from 1993 to 1995. She faced early crises, including a whistleblower lawsuit, an NCAA investigation, and a legislative audit. She aimed to elevate the university’s status and helped secure funding for a new stadium, but the board terminated her in 1995. She later settled a related lawsuit for $130,000.
In 1997, Hatton became president of Knoxville College in Tennessee, a institution facing financial difficulties and loss of accreditation. She led the college until 2005, a period marked by lawsuits over unpaid wages and benefits. She was dismissed by the board on August 8, 2005, and an interim management team followed.
Hatton was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She died in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 3, 2025, at age 84–85.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 01:13 (CET).