Danny Flanigan, a longtime administrator at Spelman College in Atlanta, died on March 17. He was 71 years old.
A native of Lithonia, Georgia, Flanigan graduated from what is now Clark Atlanta University and earned an MBA at Emory University. He started his professional career at the accounting firm, Arthur Andersen & Co., before joining Spelman College in 1970 as assistant to the business manager. Flanigan was chief financial officer and at the same time he was vice president of business and financial affairs. He climbed the ladder at Spelman, becoming treasurer, and ultimately executive vice-president, treasurer, and chief investment officer. The college’s endowment grew during his 50 years from $6 million to $400 million.
In a statement to the campus community, Mary Schmidt Campbell, president of Spelman College said that “few epitomized the spirit of Spelman the way that Danny did. Few did as much to transform Spelman into a leading liberal arts college. Few will leave a vacancy as big as the one Danny leaves behind.”
This past December, Flanigan celebrated his fiftieth year at Spelman College. The college has established the Robert “Danny” Flanigan Endowed Scholarship in his honor.
