Barbara R. Hatton

Barbara Rose Hatton (1940 or 1941 – November 3, 2025) was an American academic administrator. She served as the president of South Carolina State University from 1993 to 1995 and as the president of Knoxville College from 1997 to 2005.

Hatton earned a bachelor's degree from Howard University, a master's from Atlanta University, and a Ph.D. from Stanford University. Before her presidencies, she held faculty and administrative positions at Stanford University, Tuskegee University, and the Ford Foundation. In 1993, she became the first female president of South Carolina State University. Her tenure ended after 22 months when the board of trustees terminated her, resulting in a lawsuit that Hatton settled with the university. She was later hired to lead Knoxville College, which was struggling with financial issues and had lost its accreditation. Her leadership there ended in 2005 when the board fired her amid lawsuits from faculty and students over unpaid wages.

Early life and education Barbara Rose Hatton was born in LaGrange, Georgia, the eldest child of William H. Hatton, a lifelong educator and school principal, and Katye Tucker Hatton. She was raised in Atlanta and attended Atlanta Public Schools. At Stanford University, Hatton earned an M.E.A. in business and education and, in 1976, a Ph.D. in education. Her dissertation was titled Schools and Black Communities: A Problem Formulation. She was later employed at the University of the District of Columbia, where she served as a teacher and held administrative positions. Hatton stated that board members told her the "heart of the concern was... 'a woman thing'".

The college had seen 10 presidents in the 17 years before her arrival. Hatton stated she accepted the position only after insisting that the board be "restarted," the board was subsequently "restocked" with only three members from the previous board remaining. At Knoxville, Hatton designed a "debt-free 'work college' model" allowing students to earn their education through structured internships.

In May 2005, twelve professors sued the college and Hatton, claiming they were owed approximately $330,000 in back pay since June 2004. The suit also alleged that the college had failed to maintain pension funds and that their health insurance had been cancelled. A separate lawsuit directed at Hatton alleged she had failed to give professors intended bonuses. That same month, another lawsuit was filed by more than 100 students claiming they were owed money for on-campus jobs from 2003. Despite the lack of pay, the professors in the lawsuit continued to teach.

Faculty and students sent letters to the board asking for Hatton's dismissal in the spring of 2005, though the board announced in May it was standing by her. On August 8, 2005, the board of trustees fired Hatton, effective immediately. The board alleged she had managed the school "by creating fear and intimidation" and listed nine grounds for her termination. Four trustees who had not attended the meeting resigned in protest. Following her dismissal, Robert H. Harvey, a former dean and acting president, was chosen to lead an interim management committee.

Personal life and death Hatton was a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She died in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 3, 2025, at the age of 84.