Betty Sherrill: 1989 Hall of Fame Inductee
In 1951, New Orleans native Betty Sherrill came to work at the New York firm McMillen as assistant to the president. Many years later, she became president and chief executive officer, along the way racking up a list of residential and contract projects that looks like a collision between the Fortune 500 and the social register. She served as vice president of the Boys Club of New York and as a member of the board of directors for the National Trust of New York State. She was also on the boards of Southhampton Hospital and Sloan Kettering Memorial.
Sherrill maintained a close association with Tulane University, where she received her honorary doctorate degree as Outstanding Alumna of the Year in 1987. She was interested in the development of professional education in the field of interior design and worked on a project to fund a joint degree program at Tulane between the School of Architecture and the art department. She was a member of the Board of Trustees for Loyola University and for more than 20 years, she was a member of the National Foundation for Facial Reconstruction.
Sherrill received numerous honors as well. The Cooper Hewitt honored her at a dinner dance at the St. Regis Roof. In 1989, Birmingham College honored her at “Gala 9” which recognizes national and international women of distinction.