Betty Katherine Palmetter Falato

Betty Katherine Palmetter Falato grew up in Earlsboro, Oklahoma, in Pottawatomie County. She holds a bachelor’s in mathematics and a master’s in human relations from the University of Oklahoma, and a master’s in civil engineering from the University of California at Berkeley.

During her career in air transportation, Falato served at various Federal Aviation Administration locations and the Office of the Secretary of Transportation in Washington, D.C. She taught air traffic control data system specialists; managed National Airspace System (NAS) projects, led NAS system engineering teams, conducted studies and wrote management and technical reports, and served as a human relations consultant. She joined several professional organizations and received several awards.

In her community service, Falato has volunteered in diverse groups to improve community life for everyone. After retiring from the FAA, Betty began researching and writing about school desegregation and supporting museums that deal with education and history. Her community service awards include a commendation from the governor for service to Oklahoma and the Florence Drake Award from the Pottawatomie County Historical Society for publishing new county histories about black schools.