Cleveland State Community College recently received a $50,000 gift from the estate of Dr. Mary T. Barker, a beloved professor and administrator at Cleveland State for more than 20 years and namesake of the Mary T. Barker Humanities Building on campus.
The gift will be used by the Cleveland State Foundation to support the college and student scholarships, according to a news release.
"Dr. Barker devoted her life to inspiring others through education, and I am grateful for her years of service at Cleveland State," Dr. Ty Stone, college president, said in the release. "Her generous estate gift leaves a legacy that will provide resources and opportunities for future students, our next generation of leaders."
After retiring in 1992, Barker served as vice president of academic affairs at Chattanooga State Technical Community College. In 1998, she returned to the classroom as adjunct faculty at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga until 2005.
Barker passed away in 2018.
Andrea Byerly, Cleveland State