Phyllis A. Roth
Phyllis A. Roth has had a long and distinguished career at Skidmore. A member of the
faculty since 1976, she was a coordinator of the Women's Studies Program from 1983
to 1985, English Department chair from 1985 to 1989 and dean of the faculty from 1990
to 2000.
While President Porter was on sabbatical in 1993, Dean Roth held the reins as acting
president from January to August. During that time, she oversaw a $41.5 million bond
issue that funded the renovation and expansion of the Lucy Scribner library, Dana
Science Center and the Sports and Recreation Center.
"It was a heady time," Roth recalled, "especially to the end of enhancing the intellectual
tone on campus and intellectual visibility of the college nationally, and of getting
some necessary projects done, but it was tight times financially."
The college again turned to Roth in 1999, when President Porter retired and the incoming
president, Jamienne S. Studley, was still six months away from assuming office. As
interim president from January to June, Roth and her staff worked to ease the transition
for the incoming Studley, "husbanding our resources" and wrapping up ongoing projects.
She died in 2012.