Beretta, Sallie Ward, 1872-1964

Biographical statement

Sallie Ward Beretta, was born in 1872 in Austin, Texas, to John R. and Louisa (Hartsook) Ward. After attending Beechcroft College in Tennessee (1888–90) and the University of Texas (1891–93), she married banker John King Beretta of San Antonio, on December 9, 1896. The couple had one child: John W. Beretta.

Beretta was involved in many clubs and civil organizations. In 1933, Beretta was appointed to the Board of Regents of the State Teachers Colleges of Texas. She served with distinction for eighteen years until 1951. During her career on the Board of Regents, she, along with other regent members, appointed Dr. John Garland Flowers as the third president of Southwest Texas State Teachers College. In 1951, she purchased 125 acres of land in Wimberley, Texas, near the Blanco River, and donated it to Southwest Texas State Teachers College to be used as a campsite. Throughout her remaining years, Beretta continued to contribute to Southwest Texas State Teachers College through the Sallie Beretta Gift Fund and the Sallie W. Beretta Award to acknowledge an outstanding woman scholar.

President Flowers named a dormitory building for her due to her efforts as a member of the Board of Regents and her support of Southwest Texas State Teachers College. In 1946, Southwest Texas State Teachers College broke ground for the construction on the new dormitory. Harvey P. Smith, an architect from San Antonio, Texas, along with Sipple and Adams, general contractors from New Braunfels, Texas, took charge of the project.

In February 2021, President Trauth convened the Scholars Task Force, comprised of scholars in history, sociology, political science, and library studies, to undertake a scholarly analysis of the historical facts about and contexts of the lives and careers of Beretta and Flowers, namesakes of two buildings on the San Marcos Campus. The task force produced a report titled "Historical Background and Context: Sallie Ward Beretta and John Garland Flowers."

A Review and Recommendations Task Force in September 2021, comprised of students, alumni, faculty, and staff, to review the report and make recommendations based on its contents. The Task Force recommended to the President’s Cabinet that the university remove “Beretta” from the building named after Sallie Ward Beretta based, in part, on her documented:
1) Efforts to promote and preserve the Lost Cause Myth and glorify the memory of the Confederacy; and 
2) Viewpoints, which are antithetical to Texas State University’s current values, and its role as a Minority Serving Institution and Hispanic Serving Institution.

It was announced in January 2022 by President Trauth that Beretta will be removed from the residence hall bearing her name after the end of the semester.

See also:
Beretta (Sallie Ward) Family Papers, 1845-1965. Texas A&M University-San Antonio, Archives & Special Collections.

Brennan, Mary C. et al. "Historical Background and Context: Sallie Ward Beretta and John Garland Flowers," Texas State University, accessed January 28, 2022, https://inclusion.txstate.edu/resources/historical-background.html

Cottrell, Debbie Mauldin. “Beretta, Sallie Ward,” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed January 28, 2022, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/beretta-sallie-ward.

Vaverek, Margaret. “Scholars Task Force Resources Library Guide,” University Libraries, Texas State University, accessed January 28, 2022, https://guides.library.txstate.edu/scholars.

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