Talbert O. Shaw, who helped to restore the financial health of Shaw University while serving as its president for a decade and a half, has died, the university announced Tuesday.
“Shaw University mourns the loss of Dr. Talbert O. Shaw, 12th President,” the university announced on its Twitter and Facebook accounts Tuesday morning.
The university named Shaw as president in 1987 when it faced financial trouble that threatened to close the school.
Shaw served the university for 15 years, leading it to pay off debts and creating a tuition payment system where students could pay more frequently, diverseeducation.com wrote in 2003 when he retired.
He also raised the university’s endowment to $15 million and built the Talbert O. Shaw Living Learning Center, a computer lab for students and the largest building project in the school’s history.
Shaw University is a private school affiliated with the Baptist Church. It’s the first historically black school in the South.