Bette E. Landman

Bette Emeline Landman (July 18, 1937 – October 16, 2025) was an American anthropologist and academic administrator who served as the 18th president of Arcadia University from 1985 to 2004. As the institution's first female president, she took over when the college was facing financial distress and, during her 19-year tenure, doubled enrollment to over 3,000 students, increased the endowment from $267,000 to $26 million, and oversaw its 2001 transition from Beaver College to Arcadia University.

Early life Bette Emeline Landman was born in Piqua, Ohio, on July 18, 1937, the middle of three children with an older sister, Patricia, and a younger brother, Todd. Shortly after her birth, the family moved to San Francisco.

Her entry into graduate studies in anthropology at Ohio State University (OSU) was the result of a chance encounter. She received fellowships from the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research in 1963, the National Science Foundation, and an OSU Fellowship in 1960.

The title of her Ph.D. dissertation was Household and Community in Canouan, British West Indies. In an autobiographical essay, Landman wrote that the completion of her doctorate was delayed by six years.

Later in her career, she participated in the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Institute for Educational Management. Her tenure there was divided by her fieldwork. Landman served as an instructor from 1963 to 1965 and was promoted to assistant professor for the 1966 to 1967 academic year. Her research focused on marriage, childrearing, and family organization in a community with a significant gender imbalance caused by male emigration. Landman served in the role for 19 years, retiring in 2004. Her presidency marked a period of growth for the institution. She doubled student enrollment to over 3,000, increased the endowment from $267,000 to $26 million, and oversaw the construction of seven new buildings. In 1992, Landman was named a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Council on Education (ACE) created an award in her name to honor leaders in women's education. She strengthened the liberal arts program, expanded international study programs, and worked to diversify the student body. Key moments during her leadership include navigating an eight-month maintenance staff strike in 1993 and initiating the institution's name change from Beaver College to Arcadia University in 2001. In 2003, she received a lifetime achievement award from the Pennsylvania Council on International Education.

Landman served as chair of the board of directors for the Association of American Colleges and held board presidencies for the Commission for Independent Colleges and Universities and the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities. Her board memberships also included ACE, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, Abington Memorial Hospital, and Wilson College. Landman was a member of the Philadelphia Alliance for Teaching Humanities in Schools, the ACE Pennsylvania State Planning Council, and the Metropolitan Collegiate Center of Germantown.

Landman contributed an autobiographical essay, "Nurturing Chance: An Accidental Life," to the 1996 book Against the Tide: Career Paths of Women Leaders in American and British Higher Education.

Upon her retirement in 2004, she was succeeded as president by Jerry M. Greiner. In recognition of her service, Arcadia University named its library in her honor, awarded her an honorary doctorate of education, and created the Bette Landman Award for students. In 2009, she was inducted into Arcadia's Athletics Hall of Fame.

Death Landman died at Jefferson Abington Hospital on October 16, 2025, at the age of 88.