Carol D. Surles
President, 1994-1999
Dr. Carol D. Surles, ninth President, third woman, and first African-American
named to lead the University, was the unanimous choice of the Board of Regents
following a national search which attracted the applications of 80 individuals.
The search was conducted by a fourteen member advisory committee appointed
by Board Chair Jayne Lipe and headed by Regent Diana Marshall. The advisory
committee included students, faculty, staff members, alumnae, and community
leaders. The search firm of Korn-Ferry International aided the advisory committee and the Board of Regents during the search. Three finalists visited the
four campuses of TWU before the decision to invite Dr. Surles to the position
of president on May 11, 1994. Dr. Surles began her administration in the fall
of 1994. Dr. Patricia Sullivan, who had served as interim president between the
administrations of Dr. Shirley Chater and Dr. Carol Surles, accepted a position as
President of the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, in 1994.
A native of Florida, Carol D. Surles earned the baccalaureate degree in Psychology at Fisk University in Nashville, the master’s degree in Counseling from
Chapman College in California, and the doctoral degree in Education from the
University of Michigan—Ann Arbor. Her background in teaching, research, and
administration provided the credentials necessary for a chief executive in higher
education. Dr. Surles served as Vice President for Administration and Business
Affairs at California State University—Hayward, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Management at Jackson State University in Mississippi,
Vice Chancellor for Administration and Associate Professor of Management at
the University of Michigan—Flint, and as Associate Vice President for Human
Resources at the University of Central Florida. Dr. Surles had also worked in
public service and public television before joining TWU. Dr. Surles and her son
Philip, a seventh grader at the time of her appointment, lived in University House
for almost four years. Her daughter Lisa, a doctoral student at William and Mary,
visited for holiday breaks.
The Board of Regents approved the construction of the Movement Sciences Building, later called Pioneer Hall, at the first meeting that Dr. Surles attended on August 26, 1994. The plan, begun earlier, was carried to completion during
Dr. Surles’ tenure. Pioneer Hall, built at a cost of approximately $18 million is the most expensive construction project ever undertaken by the University.
With its state-of-the-art features, it is home to academic programs in human movement as well as the location for competitive athletic events and the
fitness center. TWU often hosts community events in Pioneer Hall, and graduates receive their diplomas in the Katherine Winter Magee arena. Dr. Surles
worked with the National Alumnae Association to secure new headquarters, and new alumnae offices opened in 1995.
Not only did Dr. Surles face the challenge of major construction immediately upon appointment, she also came to the campus just as the regents were
considering a major change in University policy regarding admission. At the board meeting of December 9, 1994, the regents assembled and prepared to
go into executive session about the admission policies of the University. Word had leaked out that a change of policy would be made even though the
posting of the agenda did not specifically identify the issue. There had been no public notice or open forum on the topic of a change in policy. More than
200 persons, including students, faculty, staff, and alumnae, many of them irate at the lack of public discussion on a topic of such importance, attended
the board meeting. Approximately 30 individuals requested the opportunity to address the board. Board Chair Jayne Lipe allowed those who completed
cards to speak for a maximum of two minutes each. Following the remarks of the students, faculty, staff, and alumnae, the Board of Regents went into
executive session. When the Board returned to public session after the executive period, Cheryl Wattley, a member of the Board, made the following motion, which was seconded by Sheila Whitaker-Kellagher, a regent and graduate of TWU:
“Texas Woman’s University is a comprehensive public university primarily for women. It is the special mission of TWU to serve as
a distinct and unique institution among institutions of higher education in Texas in order to provide undergraduate and graduate
education of the highest quality in a learning environment that empowers and affirms the full development of women. I move that
qualified applicants may enroll in all programs in the General Divisions, Institute of Health Sciences, and Graduate School of Texas
Woman’s University.”
Six regents voted in favor of the motion. One member voted against the change – Mr. Don Reynolds. With the vote, the admission of both women and
men to all programs of TWU was authorized. TWU had admitted qualified men to programs in the health sciences and to all graduate programs for over
twenty years – since 1972. By 1994, when the Board took action to open all programs to qualified men, the enrollment of men was approximately 900
students, about nine per cent of the student body.
The decision of the board provoked tremendous controversy and outrage in some quarters. Daily rallies in front of the Student Center at the free speech
area attracted hundreds. Students put signs on buildings, on the Pioneer Woman, over the bridge on Bell Avenue denouncing the action of the board.
A significant number of students refused to accept the decision quietly. They mounted a protest by erecting what they called “tent city’ or “preservation
87
nation.” They pitched tents on the lawn of Hubbard Hall and, despite the cold weather of winter, camped out for weeks. After a child was injured in a fire
inside one of the tents, Dr. Surles insisted that tent city come down for safety reasons. Grudgingly the students took down their tents, but they continued
to protest in letters to the newspapers and through frequent rallies.
A group of faculty members, alumnae, students, and friends of the University banded together and filed a lawsuit against the Board of Regents for their
action on December 9. Called Myers et al v Lipe et al (Bettye Myers, faculty member in Kinesiology, and Jayne Lipe, Chair of the Board of Regents), the case
was filed in protest to the Board action on the grounds that the Board had not complied with the open meetings requirements because of the failure to
post clearly in advance the exact nature of the business before the Board and that the Board of Regents lacked the authority to change so fundamentally
the admission policy without action by the Texas Legislature.
In time the students stopped campus protests and in time the lawsuit was rendered in favor of the Board of Regents, and the decision to open admission
to all TWU programs to qualified women and men on an equal basis became the pattern of the University. A task force of faculty, staff, students, and
alumnae, chaired by Dr. Betty Alford, Cornaro Professor of Nutrition and TWU alumna, carried out the charge of the Board of Regents to “implement policy
in a way that will not alter the University’s mission: its commitment to women.”
Two months after the tumult over the change in admissions policy, Dr. Surles gave her inaugural address on February 17, 1995. In her remarks, the new
president said “There are difficult challenges before us. But challenges produce new visions, and we have a unique opportunity to be pioneers in a new
century – committed to our mission – providing continuity in the midst of change so that Texas Woman’s University may lead and exemplify its most ennobling characteristics, in order that all students – both women and men – may benefit from their experience at this university.” Dr. Surles also pledged,
“We will keep the TWU promise – preserving our autonomy as a public university and affirming our mission to serve women, primarily.”
Dr. Surles took steps to move TWU forward. She developed in consultation with others a strategic plan called Pioneering the Future. Even as she sought
new directions for the University, she established some priorities regarding the enhancement of technology on campus. The Information Technology
group expanded dramatically, and computers were made available throughout the four campuses. The goal of establishing a School of Management, to
be accredited and to provide special opportunities for women to advance in business careers, was a high priority.
Enrollment began to decline in 1994 and continued to go down every year of the Surles administration. With declines in enrollment, the University suffered
a loss of financial resources as well. The Board of Regents made recruitment and retention of students a major goal of the University.
During her tenure at TWU, Dr. Surles was actively recruited by other institutions of higher education. In December of 1998, Dr. Surles chose to accept
the presidency of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois, effective
February 5, 1999. In a letter to the faculty, dated January 29, 1999, Dr.
Surles wrote, “The decision was not easy, but I wish to be closer to my son
(who is attending Interlochen Arts Academy in the upper Midwest) and
to once again accept a new challenge in my life.” At the TWU centennial,
Dr. Surles is serving as President of Eastern Illinois University.
With the resignation of Dr. Surles, the Board of Regents, named Dr.
Beverley Byers-Pevitts, Vice President for Academic Affairs, as interim
president and quickly launched a national search for a permanent president. A search committee composed of faculty, staff, students, alumnae,
and community leaders worked under the leadership of Kay Williams
Goodman as chair to identify a new president for TWU. The search ended
successfully with the appointment of Dr. Ann Stuart as tenth President
and first Chancellor, effective December 1, 1999.
Dr. Shirley Chater and Dr. Mary Evelyn Huey, former
presidents of TWU, joined Dr. Carol Surles at her
inaugural reception in Hubbard Hall.
88
Inauguration of Dr. Carol Surles
A special feature of the inauguration of Dr. Carol D. Surles as ninth President of TWU was the processional into the Margo Jones Auditorium led by Mrs.
Catherine Cloud Edward, a graduate of the Class of 1932, in her CIA uniform. Mrs. Edwards, who was an original member of the TWU Foundation Board
when it was formed in 1952 and who served as President of the Alumnae Association, was a barrier-breaking career woman. She was the first woman
employed as a draftsperson in civil engineering at Humble Oil Company in 1942. Catherine Edwards was escorted in the inaugural procession by incoming freshman student Amanda Brooke Ward. Loyal to the university throughout her life, Catherine Cloud Edwards provided a bequest of $167,000 to the
Department of Visual Arts from her estate in 2000.
Dr. Carol Surles addressed the audience at her inaugural celebration on February 17, 1995
89
Civil Rights advocate and heroine Rosa Parks
visited the Denton campus on November 22,
1996. A standing-room only crowd welcomed
Parks for her address in Margo Jones Auditorium.
Rosa Parks was greeted by TWU President Carol
Surles and two young admirers.
Mortar Board President Bonnie Curtiss and TWU President Carol Surles join in planting a tree near the Music Building in February 1997 in honor of the anniversary of
Dr. Surles’ inauguration. A tree was planted near the TWU library by the Inauguration
Planning Committee in February 1995 in honor of Surles. Dr. Surles supported Mortar
Board actively during her administration, and she brought a chapter of Golden Key
to the campus for the first time.
The campus at Denton has many commemorative trees and plantings. In 1931,
students planted an oak tree from George Washington’s home, and a second
tree from Mount Vernon was added in 1932. A pecan tree from the home of Sam
Houston in Huntsville and a pecan tree from the grave of Governor James Hogg
were planted on campus. A tree in memory of Dr. John A. Guinn, sixth President of
TWU, was planted in 1976 between the CFO and ACT buildings. Hundreds of live
oak and redbud trees have been planted over the years. In 1978, Mortar Board
President Bunny Vitasek led that honor society in a project to plant 50 redbud trees
as a gift from the organization. The Native Plant Society has encouraged the use of
wildflowers both in the botanical gardens and at other locations on campus. A rose
garden in memory of Dr. T.L. Morrison, who served TWU as Professor of Business
and Dean of the Graduate School, was a gift from former students and faculty colleagues. Former Regent Janet Johnson endowed a rose garden near the entrance
of Stoddard Hall in memory of her mother Ruth Martin Crary, an alumna of TWU
who served as a member of the Biology faculty, executive director of the National
Alumnae Association, and Vice President for Student Life before her retirement. In
the spring of 2001, Chancellor Ann Stuart requested the planting of 300 redbud
trees on campus.
90
Tent City
When the TWU Board of Regents voted in the late fall of 1994 to alter the admission policies of the
University to allow the entrance of all qualified women and men, there were swift and noisy protests.
Many students and faculty spoke out against the action of the Board in public meetings on the Denton,
Dallas, and Houston campuses. Daily protests were held in front of the Student Center. Signs appeared
on the bridge over Bell Avenue. Some students draped the statue of the Pioneer Woman in black.
Others wore black arm bands as a symbol of protest and grief. Students on the Denton campus set
up tent city in January of 1995 on the grounds of Hubbard Hall. They pitched tents and insisted that
they would stay in their protest camp until the Board rescinded their decision. Extremely cold weather
caused hardships for those camped out in tent city. When a young child staying with his mother in a
tent in front of Hubbard Hall was injured by a makeshift heater, President Surles urged the students
to leave tent city and its risks to safety and return to their indoor housing. At first the students refused.
Finally under the threat of having tent city dismantled by the TWU police, the students gave in and tent
city disappeared. The protests continued in other ways. A group of students, alumnae, faculty, and staff
joined in a legal challenge to the action of the Board on the grounds that the Board lacked authority on
its own to make a change in the admission policy and that the Board had not given clear and adequate
notice of its intent to change the policy.
The final outcome of the dispute, which raged for several months on campus, was the affirmation of the
decision that the Board had made. Since 1994, both women and men have been admitted to TWU for
all degree programs. At the centennial, 8.8 per cent of the students enrolled at TWU are men.
The free speech area in front of the Student
Center was the gathering place for those
who wanted to speak against the change
of admission policy adopted by the Board
of Regents.
Tents on the grounds of Hubbard Hall were set up in January of
1995. Students camped out in the cold winter in their tents. Some
of the students who were mothers brought their children to stay
with them in the tents.
Preservation Nation was
one of the names used
for tent city.
91
Cultural Diversity
Tribal customs and rituals of Native Americans are
shared in programs hosted in the TWU Student
Center. Intergenerational dances and songs reflect
the rich culture of native peoples at programs open
to campus and community alike.
For many years, students from other countries
have joined together to host special dinners on
campus featuring cuisines native to their homelands. The international dinners have provided
not only interesting menus but also an appreciation of other customs.
92
In addition to the many opportunities afforded TWU students on the Dallas, Denton, and Houston campuses, internships, practica, and field trips in other
locales provide exceptional opportunities for learning. Students in the health sciences enroll for clinical studies all over the nation. Students in other fields
of study travel to gain new information and insights. The goal of assuring that TWU students have excellent field studies has been a priority at TWU for
half a century. Courses for international study in Europe, Mexico, and Japan have been offered for many years. Also field trips to American venues have
been part of the enrichment of academic life at TWU.
Graduate students in English visited Melrose Plantation in Natchitoches
Parish in Louisiana as part of their field trip for the Kate Chopin Literature
Conference in 1996.
Art students under the leadership of Dr. John Calabrese visited the
Marcus Aurelius statute atop Capitoline Hill in Rome in 1998. Photo
courtesy of Dr. Calabrese.
Students enrolled in the Department of History and Government
under the direction of Dr. Lybeth Hodges and Dr. Barbara Presnall
visited London as part of their studies on British politics and culture.
Photo courtesy of the Department of History and Government.
93
Following ancient tradition, the Olympic torch is carried
to the site of the games. In 1996, at the centennial of
the modern games, the torch was carried part of the way
toward Atlanta by TWU staff member Juliette Rizzo, Director of the Office of Disability Support Services.
TWU joined with community volunteers and the University of North Texas in 1992
and 1993 to host the Special Olympics in Denton. Hundreds of special athletes
from across the country participated in the games. Dr. Derrell Bulls, Professor of
Business at TWU, chaired the Special Olympics events.
In their clinical studies at TWU, students in Physical Therapy
learn theories and techniques to help patients.
94
Pioneer Hall
The groundbreaking for Pioneer Hall, an $18 million facility for the study
of human movement, had to be moved inside because of inclement
weather. Dr. Surles joined a team of helpers in turning a spade of earth
in a symbolic act to begin construction on the building. The building was
authorized by the Board of Regents in 1994 and completed in 1998.
Pioneer Hall was the last major construction project of the University’s
first one hundred years. Located on Bell Avenue, the
building offers state-of-the-art facilities for instruction and research in human movement. An indoor
swimming pool, basketball court, classrooms, and
laboratories provide first rate space and equipment for
many TWU programs. The major arena of the building
for intramural and competitive sports was named for
TSCW graduate and TWU faculty member Katherine
(Kitty) Winter Magee. The arena is used for TWU sports
events as well as community events. TWU graduation
exercises are also held in Pioneer Hall.
Students train at the indoor pool at Pioneer Hall.
Human movement testing laboratories are available for research
in Pioneer Hall.
95
National Alumnae Association Activities
A tradition of CIA/TSCW/TWU is the presentation of a single
rose as a sign of friendship and encouragement. Student
groups have often sold roses on campus for this tradition.
At the inaugural luncheon for Dr. Mary Evelyn Huey in
1977, each table had a single red rose at the center, gifts
from alumnae and friends. In this photo, Kathy Coffey
Ragsdale presents a single red rose to Frances Sunkel
Sneed at Homecoming.
The Denton County Sesquicentennial, celebrated in May of 1996,
had the support of busloads of TWU students, faculty, staff, and
alumnae. Donna Ryan, Executive Director of the TWU National
Alumnae Association for 18 years, and Alumnae Vice President and
Board Member Madge Boucher Boynton participated in the Denton
County festivities.
President Carol Surles joined alumnae and former Alumnae Association presidents
Mary Beth Scull and Kitty Magee at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening
of the new Alumnae Office on University Drive. Dr. Surles approved the renovation
of the cottage adjacent to the Little Chapel-in-the-Woods for the new headquarters
of the Alumnae Association in 1994. The office opened in August of 1995. It is a
center of activity for the 50,000 alumnae of CIA/TSCW/TWU.
Dr. Shirley Chater returned to the campus in the spring of 2000 for the inauguration of Dr. Ann Stuart as tenth President and first Chancellor of TWU. Dr. Chater
participated in the panel of distinguished women who appeared on the symposium celebrating the inauguration. During her visit, Dr. Chater was welcomed by
TWU alumnae Dottie Mangum Kinsel of Cotulla and Hoy Casey Gatlin of Houston,
both former presidents of the TWU National Alumnae Association.
National Alumnae Association Board
Gathering for a workshop at the Alumnae House in May of 2001, members of
the Board of the National Alumnae Association develop plans for the future
of the organization. Members of the Board at the centennial are (back row,
left to right) Shirley Garrett, Nancy Millichamp, Dr. Betty Junkin Guest, Diane
Dillon, Jackie Sanders, Madge Boucher Boynton, and (front row, left to right) Dr.
Phyllis Bridges, Lee Gray Blair (President), Robert L. Kraakvik, and Emily-Mae
Stafford. Not pictured but serving faithfully on the board are Lilia Bynum, Joyce
Lawson Mahone, Ann Ferrell Williams, Dr. Bettye Myers, Norma Silva-Quinn,
and ex-officio members Marjorie Wilson Ford (NAA Executive Director) and Jo
Lynn Jensen (Vice President for Institutional Development).
96
Texas Woman’s University Intercollegiate Hall of Fame
The success of TWU athletes, teachers, and coaches over many years led to the establishment in 1994 of the TWU Intercollegiate Hall of Fame. With
national championships and world records in both individual and team sports, TWU has been home to gifted athletes and teachers.
The charter members of the Hall of Fame are (right to left) Louise Ritter, Olympic gold medalist in the
high jump; Dr. Bert Lyle, coach of track and field and basketball and athletic director; Kathy Arendsen,
All-American and national champion in softball; Margaret Varner Bloss, world champion in tennis and
badminton; Katherine Winter Magee, student athlete and faculty member; and Mary Suba Barbaria,
field hockey, badminton, tennis.
Since the establishment of the Hall of Fame, other members have joined the charter inductees. Listed below are the members of the Hall of Fame:
Inducted May 6, 1994
Inducted September 19, 1997
Kathy Arendsen (Softball)
Mary Suba Barbaria (Field Hockey, Badminton, Tennis)
Margaret Varner Bloss (Tennis, Badminton)
Dr. Bert Lyle (Athletic Director, Track Coach, Faculty Member)
Kitty Winter Magee (Student Athlete, Faculty Member)
Louise Ritter (Track and Field)
Donna Grant (Volley Ball)
Jo Kuhn (Softball Coach, Golf Coach)
Peggy Allen McCoy (Baseball)
Donna Terry (Softball Coach)
Inducted September 22, 1995
Leleith Hodges (Track)
Missy Mapes (Softball)
Willie Rucker (Softball)
Abbie Rutledge (Badminton, Field Hockey, Tennis)
Inducted September 10, 1999
Dianne Baker (Softball)
Lisa Harlan Gandy (Gymnastics)
Kathy Van Wyk (Softball)
97