In Memoriam: Velma L. Blackwell

Velma L. Blackwell, a long-time administrator at Tuskegee University in Alabama, died late last month in Mobile, Alabama.

A native of Whistler, Alabama, Dr. Blackwell graduated from what was then Tuskegee Institute in 1956. She held a master’ degree from Temple University in Philadelphia and a Ph.D. from Florida State University. She was the first African American teacher at B.C. Raines High School in Mobile.

Dr. Blackwell joined the staff at Tuskegee University in 1969 and remained employed by the university until her retirement in 2008. She held many positions at the university including associate provost, director of student relations, vice president for development, and director of the Center for Continuing Education.