Joanne Glasser, who served from 2007-2015 as Bradley University's first female president, has died.
Current Bradley president James Shadid announced Glasser’s death in a letter to the university community, calling her “a changemaker on campus.”
A Baltimore native, Glasser was Bradley’s 10th president, coming to Peoria from Eastern Kentucky following the retirement of David Broski. During her tenure, she oversaw a capital campaign that exceeded $150 million, the largest in the university’s history.
“President Glasser devoted herself wholeheartedly to Bradley University and to the students she so deeply loved. Her leadership helped transform Bradley in lasting and meaningful ways,” Shadid said in his letter.
Shadid said Bradley’s campus saw significant growth and revitalization during Glasser’s term, with the construction of the Markin Family Student Recreation Center and modernization of Westlake Hall among several other facility improvements.
“President Glasser had an unmistakable passion for this institution and her legacy can be seen not only in the buildings and programs she championed, but in the countless lives she touched through her leadership, warmth, and unwavering support of students,” said Shadid.
Private services have been held, said Shadid. The university flags will be flown at half-staff for three days.
