Dr. Barbara Short Haskew

She was born January 7, 1940, in Franklin, Tennessee, The daughter of the late Judge James Cotten Short and Bonnie LaRue Short.

If you knew Barbara, you knew that she was an incredibly intelligent and strong leader with great values and good judgment who put people first and cared deeply about them. She was skilled in the art of bringing people together (even people who didn’t always get along) to solve complicated problems. She significantly improved any organization she served with her intellect, creativity, leadership, enthusiasm and ideas. If you were fortunate enough to work with her, you knew Barbara as a fierce advocate for others before herself, someone you would go to for advice long after you worked together, and that she was always willing to help you in whatever way she could. In fact nothing gave her greater joy than helping and inspiring others to do good and great things and tackling tough problems. Barbara instinctively always did the right thing and was incredibly generous with her time and went above and beyond to help. If you were family or her friend, you knew every day how much she loved you, that she gave great advice (and usually was always right), found a way to laugh during tough times, was always true and that she would enthusiastically encourage you in whatever you wanted to achieve. If you were one of her grandchildren, you were spoiled rotten and had one of the best grandmothers ever.

Barbara grew up in Franklin, Tennessee where she was Valedictorian of Franklin High School’s class of 1958, a standout basketball player and winner of numerous awards. Just one of a handful of students in her class to go to college, Barbara graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in Journalism and Economics. A campus leader at UT, she was editor of the university student newspaper, a Torchbearer (UT’s highest undergraduate honor), President of Kappa Delta Sorority, and many other student organizations. She graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa.

She was the first woman to earn a Doctorate in Economics from UT and began her career as an Economics professor at Memphis State. In 1970, she began a 40- year career with Middle Tennessee State University where she was a tenured and distinguished Professor of Economics, and the first woman to serve in the leadership roles she held at the University including Chair of the Economics and Finance Department, Dean of the College of Business, and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Given her labor economics background, Barbara was passionate about making sure that every Tennessean had an opportunity to gain the skills they needed to play a meaningful role in the economy and that MTSU gave its students the opportunity to gain the skills they needed to succeed in the workforce. She worked with corporations to offer their employees ways to earn their degree or enhance their skills and worked to ensure that the courses and facilities MTSU offered met the needs of its students as skills needed for the workforce evolved and new industries developed. She played an instrumental role in raising millions of dollars for and developing new facilities and programs for MTSU, including its renowned Recording Industry Management Program. As Provost, she led the development of the University’s first Academic Master Plan which produced among other things, Tennessee’s first honor’s college in a public university, and numerous ongoing partnerships with industry, and increased funding for libraries and undergraduate and graduate research.

Barbara was a fierce advocate for diversity and wanted every Tennessean regardless of their background or economic status to be given the opportunity to succeed and feel welcome at MTSU. Numerous students will tell you that Barbara’s door was always open (regardless of whether she had you in class or how busy she was) to give students advice on what courses to take, what major to choose and to help them chart their career path. In the classroom, she taught her students how economic theories impacted their daily lives and often remarked that she presented a concept five different ways during a lecture to ensure that all students understood it.

Barbara also had great impact in senior roles at the Tennessee Valley Authority. She served as Manager of Rates, Office of Power leading a team that set power rates. During this time Barbara developed a deep love for TVA and its mission, as well as a deep interest in the efficient generation of power and the role energy plays in the economy.

In 2010, Barbara was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the United States Senate to serve on the TVA Board. While on the board, Barbara served as Chair of the People and Performance Committee and Member, Rates and Portfolio Committee. She was instrumental in the hiring of TVA CEO, William Dean Johnson.

In addition to her service to TVA and MTSU, throughout her life and career Barbara served her community through her service on many National and local boards of directors including, The Tennessee Aquarium, The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, the UTC Chancellor’s Roundtable, the Tennessee Judicial Council’s Judicial Evaluation Commission, The American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business, Beta Gamma Sigma, National Rate Committee of the American Public Power Association, INROADS, the Arts and Education Council, the MTSU Foundation and the United Way and the Boys and Girls Club of Rutherford County.

For many years, she also led the Tennessee Center for Labor and Management Relations. Barbara was a licensed arbitrator for the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and the American Arbitration Association for 40 years.

Barbara was also a very accomplished songwriter. Her 1964 Civil Rights Anthem, ‘I Wish I Were A Babe’, was named by a renowned folk music historian as one of his top 50 folk songs of all time. The Haskew Family Album, “Songs From the Fiery Gizzard,” featuring many of her original compositions was named 2015 National Folk CD of the Year by the Rural Roots Music Association. She often remarked that her songs were her scrapbook.

She was preceded in death by her aforementioned parents and sisters, Jimmie LaRue Short and Marilyn Virginia Hunter.

Left behind to cherish Barbara’s memory are her beloved husband of 60 years, Jerre Richmond Haskew of Chattanooga, Tennessee; her daughters, Bonnie Haskew (Michael) McMullen of Leawood, Kansas and Holly Haskew (David) Tambling of Portola Valley, California; younger sister, Dr. Beverley Joan Short of Staten Island, New York; grandchildren Matthew James (Ellie) McMullen, Sarah Richmond McMullen, Ainsley Jane Tambling and James Timothy Tambling and her beloved Golden Retriever, Sugar Pie.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of the following: The University of Tennessee in support of the Barbara Haskew Economics Fellowship Endowment https://giving.utk.edu/haskew, and The Boys and Girls Club of Rutherford County, 820 Jones Blvd Murfreesboro, TN 37129.

The family offers its deepest thanks and gratitude to all of Barbara’s caregivers and especially Kiki, Maria, Redina, April and Lynetta.

A Celebration of Barbara’s Life will be held at First Centenary United Methodist Church on Friday September 15th at 1pm with Rev. Jason Gattis and Rev. Michelle Hunter officiating. The family will receive friends at the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Thursday evening from 4pm- 8pm and again on Friday at the Church beginning at 11:30 am. Family encourages you to come as you are and wear colors that you love. Barbara will be laid to rest at a private family burial following the service.

Pallbearers will be Barbara’s family and close friends.

Arrangements are under the care of the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory and Florist, 5401 Highway 153, Hixson.

Please share your thoughts and memories at www.chattanooganorthchapel.com