San Mateo, CA; February 20, 2007—Chancellor-Emeritus Lois A. Callahan died February 18 following a sudden illness.  Dr. Callahan was widely recognized as one of the outstanding educators in California, and was one of the first women in America named to be president of a large college.  She was 75 years old.

Lois Callahan came to San Mateo County 50 years ago with the goal “to work in education” and ended her career as the first female Chancellor of one of the largest and most respected community college districts in the nation.  For her work in education she was honored by the University of Texas as the most outstanding “Transformational Leader,” and as alumnus of the year by Southwest Missouri State University.  She was also inducted into the San Mateo County Women’s Hall of Fame and earned the highest honor given by the California Community Colleges administrative organization.

Following her retirement as Chancellor of San Mateo Country Community College District in 1997, Callahan served as Interim Chancellor of the West Valley-Mission Community College District, as Interim Chancellor of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, as Interim President of the Las Positas College, as Interim President of the College of Marin, and most-recently as Interim Chancellor of The Colleges of Contra Costa county.  She was also, until her death, a partner in the executive search firm Professional Personnel Leasing.

Dr. Jack Bessire, President of PPL said of Callahan, “She was the consummate role model for community college administrators.  We all admired her professionalism, ethics, and hard work.  She was the “heart and soul” of our firm.  We will miss her deeply.”

Dr. Callahan’s career in education took her from her birthplace in Gary, Indiana to California in the mid-1950s where she didn’t know anyone, but had learned that teaching jobs were plentiful.  She began her career in education as a high school business teacher, college professor (at UC Berkeley, San Francisco State University, Cal State East Bay and College of San Mateo), Dean, Vice President and College President, before assuming the role of Chancellor.

At the time of her retirement in 1997, she was hailed by the Governor and California’s congressional delegation as an “exceptional chancellor” who guided her colleges through many challenging and difficult economic times.  She launched a far-reaching master-planning project that restructured programs and services to better align them with student and community needs, and implemented a clear, workable governance plan in response to new legislative requirements.

While President of College of San Mateo, Dr. Callahan raised private funds to build a child care facility, which gave young mothers the opportunity to continue their education.  Such a facility was revolutionary at the time and became a model throughout the country.  She also led the effort to transform KCSM-TV, a Public Broadcasting entity, from a sleepy, low-voltage local station into a major market contender.

Perhaps her most significant contribution was her aggressive lobbying of the State legislature to secure additional funds for instructional equipment for California community colleges following Proposition 13.  Her work on this resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in additional funding (referred to by some college presidents as “Callahan money”) for California community colleges to remain competitive.

Dr. Callahan was one of the first female community college presidents in the State, serving at College of San Mateo from 1978 until her appointment as chancellor in 1991.  While at CSM, Dr. Callahan was noted for her innovative program development, particularly in vocational and technical program areas.  During her years as President, the College received national recognition for instructional delivery, fund and grant development, student service programs and for the college’s partnerships with high schools, universities and business.

In community affairs, Dr. Callahan was known as a warm and sensitive volunteer who gave countless hours to her church and many local philanthropic organizations.  She was elected to numerous local boards including the Private Industry Council, United Way, the Coyote Point Museum and the County Mental Health Association.

She was recently installed as Vice Moderator of the San Francisco Presbytery, and held numerous leadership positions in the First Presbyterian Church in San Mateo, as well as with national and international Christian organizations.  She was also a trustee of Notre Dame de Namur University.

Dr. Robert A. Pitman, President of the international ministry Knox Fellowship, said “Lois Callahan was a born leader who brought gravity to every group she was part of… a woman of amazing spiritual depth who served as a role model for all people to emulate.  Lois was a woman with a servant’s heart, and to join with her in spiritual and humanitarian service was a joy of my life.”

Dr. Callahan earned a doctoral degree in higher education administration from the University of Southern California.  She received a master’s degree in business education at California State University at Chico, and a bachelor of science degree in business and education from Southwest Missouri State University.  She also studied at Harvard and Stanford Universities.

Dr. Callahan is survived by her husband of 52 years, Harold, a CPA in San Francisco; daughters Kristel Frank of Point Richmond and Brenda Edwards of Wichita, Kansas; sons-in-laws Lassa Frank and Tom Edwards; and four grandchildren:  T. J., Lauren, Toren, and Ashley.

A funeral service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church of San Mateo on Wednesday February 21, at 2:00 p.m.  Viewing will be from 5 – 9 p.m. on Tuesday at Crosby N. Gray Funeral Home in Burlingame.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the Knox Fellowship, 800 Airport Blvd., Suite 304, Burlingame, CA  94010.

For Further Information, contact:  Barbara Christensen, 650.759.5590.