Former UC Santa Barbara Chancellor Barbara Uehling Charlton died last week in San Diego from the complications of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Charlton, 87, headed the local University of California campus from 1987 until 1994, and was UCSB’s only female chancellor.
She passed away on Jan. 2 at St. Paul’s Senior Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in San Diego.
Charlton was born on June 12, 1932, in Wichita, Kansas, to Roy W. and Mary E. Hilt Staner.
She received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Wichita State University in 1954, and went on to earn a PhD in experimental psychology at Northwestern University.
She married Edward Uehling, whom she met at Northwestern, and they moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to raise their family.
Charlton served on the faculties at Oglethorpe and Emory universities before accepting the position of dean at Roger Williams College in Rhode Island.
In 1974, she became the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois, then went on to serve as provost at the University of Oklahoma.
In 1978, she was named chancellor of the University of Missouri in Columbia, and was recognized as the first female head of a land grant university.
“Throughout her career, Barbara was a passionate advocate for the advancement of higher education and in particular promoting educational opportunities for women and minorities,” according to her obituary.
After retiring from university administration, she and her husband of 21 years, Richard M. Charlton, engaged in various community arts and social causes as well as business ventures.
“Aside from a remarkable career, Barbara will always be remembered for her perseverance, dedication, and leading with fairness and integrity,” according to her obituary. “Although she will be deeply missed, Barbara’s legacy lives on through the many barriers she broke throughout her career and the memories of her devotion to family.”
UCSB Chancellor Henry T. Yang released the following statement about Charlton’s passing:
“After nine years as the chancellor of the University of Missouri-Columbia, Dr. Uehling was appointed as UC Santa Barbara’s fourth chancellor, serving from March 1987 until June 1994. She provided steady and able leadership to UC Santa Barbara at a time of both economic challenges and rapid growth.
“She emphasized diversity and academic excellence, and is credited with the development of the campus’s first 15-year Long Range Development Plan. We will always be grateful for her dedication and lasting contributions.”
Charlton is survived by her husband, Richard M. Charlton; her two children, Jeffrey (Sheryl) and David (Julie); stepchildren Richard (Sandra), Jeremy (Margie), Mackenzie (Iain), and Samantha (Ben); along with five grandchildren, and eight step-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made in Barbara’s honor to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Southern Poverty Law Center, or Wichita State University (The WSU Foundation).
A private memorial ceremony is planned.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Merkley-Mitchell Mortuary in San Diego.
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.