Happy Craven Fernandez, former president of the Moore College of Art and Design, has died at a hospice facility in Philadelphia after suffering a stroke following surgery. She was 74 years old.
In 1999, while she was serving as a professor at Temple University, Dr. Fernandez made an unsuccessful run for mayor of Philadelphia. Previously, she served two terms on the city council.
After losing in her run for mayor, Dr. Fernandez was named president of the Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia. She served in that role until 2012. During her tenure, enrollments increased 29 percent. She introduced the college’s first graduate programs and instituted the first co-educational degree programs. She also led a $30 million capital campaign.
Dr. Fernandez held a bachelor’s degree in Biblical history and literature from Wellesley College. She earned master’s degrees from Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania and an educational doctorate from Temple University.