Lilly Adams-Dudley, a long-time administrator at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, died on March 2 in Midlothian, Texas, after a brief illness. She was 72 years old.
A native of Beckley West Virginia, Adams-Dudley moved to Buffalo at the age of 3. After graduating from East High School, she attended Canisius College where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English.
Adams-Dudley then took a job teaching English at a high school in Hampton, Virginia. She returned to Buffalo a year later to teach high school English. In 1975, she joined the staff at Canisius College as a language arts specialist. She later served as an instructor in reading and study skills.
While working at the college, Adams-Dudley earned a master’s degree in education and a master’s degree in educational administration.
In 1980, Adams-Dudley was appointed director of Canisius Opportunity Programs for Education (COPE) which provided scholarships, mentoring, and tutoring for students from underrepresented groups. She later established the Academic Talent Search through a federal grant, a program that recruited low-income students in Buffalo schools to go to college.
Adams-Dudley retired in 2018 after 43 years of service to the college.