Neal Berte remembers Rosalynn Carter’s 1985 visit to the Hilltop

This Wednesday, November 29, 2023, Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter will be buried in Plains, Georgia. To mark the occasion, we dug back into the archives to find details about her 1985 visit to Birmingham-Southern College, where she was honored at a star-studded GALA.

Rosalynn Carter at GALA 7

The year was 1985, and Rosalynn Carter visited Birmingham-Southern for their annual Gala—an unforgettable event where world-class women leaders helped raise money for the college’s fine arts programs.

“Rosalynn Carter was so gracious. I can remember the relaxed manner she had about her. She seemed genuinely interested in students and what they were doing. She certainly was appreciative of the work of the local Habitat for Humanity chapter here. She was  a really easy person to be around, and one who showed a lot of genuine interest in others.”

—Neal Berte, Ph.D. President Emeritus of Birmingham-Southern College, who served as President from January 26, 1976 until 2004 and  Chancellor from 2004 until December 31, 2006

A rock-star guest list

According to the 1985 BSC Yearbook,

“GALA 7 was held on May 9-10 [1985]; its purpose was not only to honor nationally recognized women, but also to raise scholarship funds for the Fine and Performing Arts Department.

The event opened with a Patron’s Dinner at the South Central Bell Building on Thursday, and a fine arts showcase at the College Theatre followed by an Honorees Luncheon and news conference on Friday. GALA 7 was brought to a close with an elaborate awards dinner at the Civic Center Friday evening.”

Other honorees that year included:

• Buffy Cafritz
• Rosalynn Carter
• Marica Israel
• Mary Lasker
• Dina Merrill
• Grace Mirabella
• Anna Moffo
• Paloma Picasso
• Wilma Rudolph
• Diane Sawyer
• Lee Thaw
• Marietta Tree

Remembering GALA

Because Brooke Tanner Battle attended Birmingham-Southern College in the 90s, she wasn’t there for Carter’s visit. That said, she has fond memories of GALA and how unique it was at the time:

“Today it’s not too far-fetched to think about gathering 20 women who are leaders in their fields. But in 1992, when I was a student, to have a female senator from Texas alongside an actress, scientists, authors, philanthropists and engineers—fields where women were really underrepresented, and women that you hadn’t heard of necessarily—was remarkable.

Students had the opportunity to participate in meaningful ways:

“As a student, the GALA was great because as women we got paired up with the guests and were their person for the day. I was paired up with Kay Bailey Hutchison one year and my best friend was paired up with Lynda Carter, Wonder Woman, and was on cloud 9. We had a great time.”

Find out about when Former President George H. W. Bush visited Birmingham-Southern College.

Do you have memories of Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter‘s visit to Birmingham-Southern College? Tag us on social @bhamnow and let us know.