Although he never played sports himself, the esteemed Vanderbilt educator Dr. Charles Madison Sarratt was a man of deep integrity who truly believed in the importance of athletics. “When a boy comes to college, he brings a brain, but he also brings a body which houses a lot of natural energy. For that reason, education becomes a ‘package deal’ — if you minimize either part of the deal, you are apt to harm the other.” Sarratt understood that education is more than just books; it is developing a well-rounded, good human being. Born in South Carolina in 1888, Sarratt received a B.A. in mathematics from Cornell University and got his master’s at Syracuse before coming to Vanderbilt in 1916 as a professor of mathematics. Among the many titles he held during decades of service to Vanderbilt are chairman of the mathematics department, dean of students, and vice-chancellor. During the more than thirty-five years that he served on the school’s athletic committee, Sarratt represented Vanderbilt on the NCAA Council and NCAA Infractions Committee. “Each of us lives in a competitive world,” said Sarratt. “It is in intercollegiate athletics that we find the opportunity to foster — and to develop — the competitive instinct of a young man and give it direction.” A person of high moral standings who was truly loved by all who knew him at Vanderbilt, Dr. Charles Madison Sarratt will always be remembered with fondness and respect.
