Betty Halterman Kline ’55 believes in the transformative power of educational travel and study abroad opportunities.
“It’s the most important part of education,” she says.
To be truly educated, Betty explains, “you must have some understanding of how other people live, what they believe and what their culture is like.”
She and her late husband, Paul Kline ’53, who taught art at Bridgewater College for 38 years, were dedicated to providing such opportunities for students, and they led many trips abroad over the decades.
Debra Link Sheffer ’80 has fond memories of traveling to Italy with Paul and Betty in 1980. She recalls navigating Rome, Severa, Orvietto, Perugia, Siena and Florence under their guidance.
“Paul’s eagerness to take it all in was evident,” she recalls. “In Florence, I accompanied him on a second visit to the Ufizzi to see some favorites like the Portinari altar piece and Botticelli paintings.”
Although Betty had a distinguished career in mental health and psychology—even receiving the Virginia Governor’s Award for Contributions to Child Abuse, Neglect, Treatment and Prevention—she always took time off to act as co-leader on excursions with Bridgewater students and alumni.
“I wouldn’t have missed those trips for anything,” she says.
Earlier, Betty worked at the College for eight years (1960-1968) as Assistant Professor of Psychology and Dean of Women. She was recognized by the College with a Ripples Society Medal in 2009 for a “career filled with service to humanity, her family and her community.”
The Klines sought to ensure future Bridgewater students would have opportunities to travel by establishing the Paul M. and Betty H. Kline Endowed Scholarship Fund, awarded to a rising junior or senior who demonstrates commitment to the arts. The funds support the student’s opportunities for educational travel, such as last year’s May Term trip for ART-307X: Visual Art of Spain. Professor of Art Scott Jost co-led the 12-day excursion, which included stops in Barcelona and Madrid.
“We want [Bridgewater students] to understand that the world is a big place and that there is diversity and variety,” Jost says. “We want them to experience a different culture and hope that the art and architecture will inspire them to see the world as a rich and interesting place.”
Kline Scholarship recipient Willow Allen ’25, who went on the trip to Spain, says the trip marked her first time outside the United States. She describes it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, full of visits to art museums, historical sites, architectural masterpieces and bustling city spaces.
“I grew closer to professors and friends, met people from around the world and was immersed in the exciting and beautiful culture of Spain,” she says.
Betty, age 90, is proud of this ongoing legacy. She believes that understanding the history and context of art is fundamental and that there is no substitute for travel to experience it first-hand.
“I would encourage students—whatever their major—to travel and learn,” she says.
– Olivia Shifflett
6/23/2025
