Betty Stanley Beene
Class of 1964

Betty Stanley Beene is a resident scholar in organizational leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. Dr. Beene previously was president and CEO of the United Way of America. Prior to that, she was the president and CEO of the United Way of Tri-State (Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York) and served with the United Way Girl Scout Council in Houston, Texas. She holds an undergraduate degree in journalism from Arkansas State University, an MBA from the University of Houston, and a doctorate in human resource development from George Washington University. Currently, she serves as development chair of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, vice chair of the board for the Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., and member of the Spina Bifida Foundation. Dr. Beene was named one of the 50 most influential leaders in the nonprofit sector by the Nonprofit Times and an outstanding national director by the National Nonprofit Roundtable.

Texarkana College - Summer 2001

The ceremony then proceeded to the Great Room in the Truman Arnold Student Center for the honoring of the distinguished alumni, Dr. Betty Stanley Beene. The TC Singers performed four songs for the entertainment of the guests. “I will remember you” by Sarah McLachlan and “That’s the way it is” by Celine Dion, were two of the songs performed by the group. Dr. Nelson introduced Dr. Beene as the winner of the distinguished alumni award for her work as the president of United Way charity foundation. Dr. Beene, who attended Texarkana College and was the student body president in 1967, contributed her path in life to many people who helped her through her education at TC. Dr. Beene said she remembers friends going off to school at big universities and her staying here. “We may have been limited in our finances but we were not limited in our education. I feel that anything I have achieved in life I contribute to another TC alumni, named Ruth Bernstein,” Dr. Beene said. Psychology professor Phyllis Marley spoke light-heartedly of her friend Elisabeth Shaw. “So many things Lis said stuck with so many of us who worked with her,” Marley said. “We call these sayings 'Lizisms'. One of our favorite Lizisms, was when Dr. Candy Stevens Smith came to school very flustered about one of her classes. She went on and on to Shaw about the problem and when she finished, Lis said, ‘but you look good!’ To this day, if a teacher goes into a story about class problems, someone will use Shaw’s quote.”