The Shatford Family for the Walter T. Shatford Scholarship

Walter T. Shatford II served as a trustee for Pasadena City College for nearly thirty years. Before that, he had served eight years on the Board of Education for the Pasadena Unified School District. Throughout his years of service he had a heart for the Library.

In 1957, Shatford was elected to the Pasadena Board of Education, which then supervised elementary through college-level education. When what was then Pasadena Junior College split off in 1966, he left to serve on its board and stayed until 1997.

Keeping college affordable and cultivating a diverse campus population were two of Shatford’s major themes, said John Martin, a board member.

“He had just incredible wit,” said Martin, who joined the board in 1979. "The first thing he said to me was, ’There’s a lot of things you gotta know, but the most important thing on a seven-member board is that you gotta know how to count to four.’ "

Shatford’s legal and fundraising expertise was credited with helping to keep the Pasadena branch of the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People afloat during turbulent times. He served on its board for 43 years and in 1993 received its top award for service.