| Charles Madison Sarratt | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 21, 1888 Gaffney, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | March 24, 1978 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Limestone College Cornell University |
| Occupation | Academic |
| Spouse | Mary Dora Houston |
| Children | Dr Madison "Houston" Sarratt |
| Parent(s) | Robert Clifton Sarratt Frances Amos |
Charles Madison Sarratt (1888–1978) was an American academic and administrator. He was the co-author of a textbook on mathematics. He was the chair of the department of mathematics at Vanderbilt University from 1924 to 1946, dean of students from 1939 to 1945, vice-chancellor from 1946 to 1958, and dean of alumni from 1958 to 1978.
Early life
Sarratt was born June 21, 1888, in Gaffney, South Carolina. His father, Robert Clifton Sarratt, served in the South Carolina House of Representatives and the South Carolina Senate. His paternal family was of Welsh descent. His mother, Frances Amos, was the daughter of Confederate veteran and Inman cotton plantation owner Charles McAlwreath Amos and granddaughter of Charles Amos, the co-owner of the Cowpens Iron Works and a slaveholder in the antebellum era.
Sarratt graduated from Limestone College. He then graduated from Cornell University, where he received a bachelor's degree in 1911. He went on to receive a master's degree from Syracuse University in 1915.
Academic career
Sarratt taught in the College of Engineering at Syracuse University from 1913 to 1916. He joined the faculty in the department of mathematics at Vanderbilt University in 1916. He became the dean of men in 1922. Two years later, in 1924, he was appointed chair of the department of mathematics, and served as chair for the next twenty-two years. In 1939, he became dean of students. In 1946, he was appointed as vice-chancellor. He also served as chancellor pro tempore in 1946. From 1958 to 1978, he was retired, yet served as dean of alumni. He was known as "Mr Vanderbilt" or "Dean Sarratt," even after he retired.
With Columbia University professor Thomas Alexander, Sarratt was the co-author of Alexander Sarratt-Arithmetics, a three-volume mathematics textbook published in 1924.
Civic activities
Sarratt was a member of the American Mathematical Society. He was also a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, and Sigma Nu. He served on the board of directors of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce. He was President of the American Red Cross. He was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1967.
In 1960, Sarratt chaired a committee of black leaders like Stephen J. Wright and Walter S. Davis and white businessmen to put an end to the Nashville sit-ins.
Personal life
Sarratt married Mary Dora Houston in 1922. They had a son, Madison "Houston" Sarratt, who married Martha Haley Davis, the daughter of William Lipscomb Davis.
Death and legacy
Sarratt died on March 24, 1978, in Nashville. The Sarratt Student Center on the campus of Vanderbilt University has been named for him since 1974. Inside, the Sarratt Gallery is also named for him. Moreover, his bust is on display there.
References
- ^ "Gaffney Man Made Head of Vanderbilt U." The Gaffney Ledger. February 9, 1946. p. 1. Retrieved August 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Vanderbilt University – Sarratt Student Center". The Tennessean. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
- ^ "Invested Life". The Gaffney Ledger. April 7, 1978. p. 3. Retrieved August 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- Sarratt, Noble (June 2, 1927). "History of the Sarratt Family". The Gaffney Ledger. Gaffney, South Carolina. pp. 5–6. Retrieved August 14, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- Granberry, R. C. (February 26, 1953). "Mrs Sarratt Is Capable, Successful in Business". The Gaffney Ledger. Gaffney, South Carolina. p. 9. Retrieved August 14, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
Grandfather made the cloth for all his slaves.
- "Limestone Grad Is Chosen Head of Vanderbilt U." The Gaffney Ledger. January 1, 1946. p. 1. Retrieved August 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Sarratt Works With Students At Vanderbilt". The Gaffney Ledger. July 22, 1948. p. 8. Retrieved August 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Vanderbilt Official: Dr. Sarratt Is Visiting Mother". The Gaffney Ledger. July 27, 1961. p. 1. Retrieved August 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Front Matter". Peabody Journal of Education. 3 (5): 301–303. March 1926. JSTOR 1488743.
- "SARRATT, DR. CHARLES MADISON". Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
- Houston, Benjamin (2012). The Nashville Way: Racial Etiquette and the Struggle for Social Justice in a Southern City. Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press. pp. 106–107. ISBN 9780820343266. OCLC 940632744.
- "Houston Sarratt To Wed Miss Davis". The Gaffney Ledger. March 5, 1946. p. 3. Retrieved August 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Honor For Us All". The Gaffney Ledger. September 18, 1974. p. 3. Retrieved August 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Sarratt Student Center". Vanderbilt University. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
- "Sarratt Gallery". Vanderbilt University. Retrieved 25 August 2015.