How to create a master user for creating default settings in production programs?

I am interested in creating a master user whose default program settings are inherited by later users, like a template user. I know this used to be done in multiple-user Unix terminal settings such as those in Universities 25-30 years ago. How does this get done?

For example, the default settings for a word processing program such as Word Perfect, were always the same; one could change them only by permission of the systems administrator. I am using OpenOffice, which didn't exist then, and I would like similar default settings on OpenOffice, the GIMP, etc. for multiple users.

Thanks in advance!