Dr. Stephanie Bennett Smith

President 1984-2001

Title: First Worman Named Centenary President   

Source: Quill   

Date: October 26, 1984   

The Centenary College Board of Trustees announced Oct. 18 the appointment of Dr. Stephanie Mitchell Bennett as the tenth president of the institution. 

Bennett is the first woman president of the 117 year-old women's college. Her appointment came just months- after the board of trustees   reaffirmed   the college’s mission as a women's institution. The announcement was made at a campus-wide convocation held in the Reeves Building. Orin R. Smith, who represented the board and made the announcement, said: "We have a new president and I’m delighted to say not just any president, but the perfect president for Centenary Col1ege.!"

Bennett told the faculty, staff, students and alumnae present: " we must learn to work together so that our vision of Centenary College becomes a reality. We must cherish our past without being limited by it."

The new president said she was “honored to have been chosen to lead Centenary College.   I look forward with anticipation, excitement and confidence  to brave our journey." Bennett comes to Centenary from Westhampton College of the University of Richmond (Va.), where she was dean. Chosen to lead Centenary College while there, she organized and established a women’s studies program—Women involved in Living and Learning—to help liberal arts students at Westhampton better prepared for career opportunities in the business world through special studies  programs  and internships with local businesses and community service organizations.

Bennett has served as an instructor of English at Loretta Heights College in Denver, and as an assistant professor of English and director of American Studies at  Albion  (Mich.) College. She received a bachelor's degree in history and English and master’s degree in English from the University of New Mexico and a doctorate in American civilization from the University of Iowa.

She has done post-doctoral work in American Revolutionary history at the University of Michigan. The daughter of Mrs. C.S. Mitchell   of Albuquerque, NM, and the late Mr. Mitchell, she has a 16-year-old son, Brendan, who is currently a high school junior at Mary Mount School, Richmond VA.