Margaret C. Berry, born and raised in Dawson, Texas, graduated high school as co-valedictorian in 1933. Though she received a full scholarship to Baylor University from Pat Neff, former Texas governor and Baylor president, Berry turned the offer down to attend the University of Texas. After earning a history degree from UT in 1937, she began teaching at elementary schools in El Campo, Freeport, and Galveston, Texas. During the summers, Berry eared a master’s from Columbia University in New York City.
In 1947, Berry began her administrative career at Navarro Junior College as a dean and history instructor. She became dean of women at East Texas State in 1950. After 10 years, Berry left to get her doctorate in high education at Columbia University. She moved to Austin in 1961 to write her dissertation on the student life and customs at the University of Texas and became associate dean of women at UT in 1962. Berry, known as UT’s unofficial historian, wrote four books about UT's history, traditions, leaders, and its buildings: UT Austin: Traditions and Nostalgia ; The University of Texas: A Pictorial Account of its First Century ; Brick by Golden Brick: A History of University of Texas Campus Buildings ; UT History 101: Highlights in the History of the University of Texas . Berry retired in 1980, but from 1995 to 2002 she taught freshmen seminars on University of Texas history.
From the guide to the Margaret C. Berry Papers AR 81-90; 82-252; 94-175; 95-10; 98-381; 98-404., 1883-1993, (Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin)
