L. Eudora Pettigrew (1928 – December 6, 2021) was an American professor and academic administrator who served as the president of the State University of New York at Old Westbury.[1][2] She was the first African-American college president in the SUNY system when she was named president of SUNY Old Westbury in 1986.[3]
Luella Eudora Pettigrew | |
|---|---|
 Pettigrew in 1986 | |
| Born | Luella Eudora Williams 1928 Hopkinsville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | December 6, 2021 |
| Occupation(s) | Academic administrator, Political scientist |
| Title | President of SUNY Old Westbury (1986-1998) |
| Academic background | |
| Education | West Virginia State College (B.A., 1950), Southern Illinois University (M.A., in 1963, Ph.D. in 1966) |
| Thesis | Similarities and Differences in Linguistic Code Behavior |
| Academic work | |
| Institutions | University of Bridgeport (1966-1970) Michigan State University (1970-1980) University of Delaware (1980-1986) |
Early life and education
editPettigrew was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky in 1928.[4] Her mother was a school teacher and her father a licensed County Farm agent.[citation needed] Pettigrew earned a bachelor's degree in music from West Virginia State College in 1950. She earned her master's degree in rehabilitation counseling from Southern Illinois University in 1963, where she also earned her doctorate in educational psychology in 1966.[5][6] Her doctoral dissertation was "Similarities and Differences in Linguistic Code Behavior."[6]
Career
editFrom 1966 to 1970, Pettigrew[7] served as assistant professor of psychology at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut.[4] From 1970 to 1980, she was the chairwoman and professor of Urban and Metropolitan Studies at Michigan State University.[2] In that role, Pettigrew was the first African American to serve as chair of any department at Michigan State University.[4]
From 1980 to 1986, Pettigrew was the associate provost of instruction and professor of urban affairs and public policy at the University of Delaware and held this position until taking a role at SUNY Old Westbury. When Pettigrew was named associate provost, she became the first Black person named to a high administrative post at the university. [citation needed]
In 1986, she was named the President of SUNY Old Westbury and served in that role for twelve years until 1998.[8][9]
Pettigrew served on the International Association of University Presidents (IAUP)/United Nations Commission on Disarmament Education Conflict Resolution, and Peace, which promotes global awareness and competence as well as peace and international understanding through education,[6][10] as co-chair (1990–1996) and chair (1996–2002).[6] She represented IAUP at the UNESCO Peace Program in Palestine from 1996 to 2002.[6][11] and at the European University Center for Peace Studies's chair program in Austria on human rights, democracy, peace, and tolerance.[6]
Pettigrew was awarded Doctor of Philosophy honoris causa degrees from University of Pretoria, Holy Family College, and Western Connecticut State University.[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ "Mourning the Passing of Former President L. Eudora Pettigrew". SUNY Old Westbury. December 22, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ a b Grossman, Karl (October 1, 1991). The Crisis (Vol 98 No 8 ed.). The Crisis Publishing Company, Inc. pp. 27–29.
- ^ "In Memoriam: L. Eudora Pettigrew | UDaily". UDaily. University of Delaware. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Dr. Luella "Eudora" (Williams) Pettigrew". Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Homes & Crematory. December 17, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ "Luella Pettigrew Obituary (2021) - Legacy Remembers". Legacy.com. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Frohlich, Dustin (September 2016). "L. Eudora Pettigrew papers | Manuscript and Archival Collection Finding Aids". University of Delaware Libraries. Gift of Peter W. Woodard, May 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ "What SUNY President Really Wrote in Letter". The New York Times. December 24, 1995. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ "Pettigrew, L. [Luella] Eudora". Notable Kentucky African Americans Database. March 12, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ Barr, Heather (May 24, 2004). "Graduating with class". NewsTimes. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ Grossman, Karl (May 22, 2022). "OpEd: It's Past Time to End Putin's Reign of Terror". Long Island Press. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ "Promoting a culture of peace: thematic debate --- Conference : World Conference on Higher Education in the Twenty-first Century: Vision and Action, Paris, 1998". UNESDOC | UNESCO. August 1, 1998. Retrieved January 28, 2023.