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ADF pays tribute to willie grace campbell, former vice chair of the board
Willie Grace Campbell served on the Board of ADF for over 11 years, from 1994 until her death in February 2006. ADF offers the following sentiments in recognition of her lifetime of achievements.
WASHINGTON - February 10, 2006
It is with profound sadness and a deep sense of loss that we note the death of Mrs. Willie Grace Campbell, who passed away on February 6, 2006 in Los Angeles, CA.
The African Development Foundation (ADF) has never had a greater or more energetic champion than Mrs. Campbell, who served as Vice Chair of ADF’s Board of Directors for more than 11 years, the longest tenure of any ADF Board member.
A natural diplomat and a catalytic agent for change, Mrs. Campbell was a tireless advocate for justice and opportunity. She dedicated her life to making the promise of the American Dream a reality for all Americans and to extending that dream to people around the world. Mrs. Campbell won over skeptics and broke down barriers by deploying her boundless wit, charm and intelligence in the service of higher causes, and she always remained true to the spirit of her middle name.
Mrs. Campbell’s public career began in the early 1950s, when she helped establish and expand the Indiana chapter of the League of Women Voters. She moved on to become Indiana state president and then joined the League’s national board. In the 1960s, Mrs. Campbell helped train women candidates for political office through her leadership as President of the National Women’s Education Fund, and she worked to engage the League’s support for the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Movement.
In the 1970s, Mrs. Campbell broadened the scope of her efforts to encompass international development through her work with the League’s Overseas Education Fund (OEF). She served as OEF’s President for several years when it became an independent organization. Mrs. Campbell advocated for international development assistance that recognized the essential work of women in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and her leadership helped nurture the creation of new development models that supported women’s efforts as agricultural producers and small business entrepreneurs.
Mrs. Campbell carried her OEF work forward when she joined ADF’s Board as Vice Chair in 1994. She was instrumental in securing support for the launch of ADF’s Enterprise Investment Program, and her testimony before Congress helped win approval for the African Growth and Opportunity Act.
Mrs. Campbell recognized that the opportunities of all Americans were not secure if some Americans did not have access to opportunity. She also recognized that social and economic freedoms in the United States were not assured if people elsewhere lacked access to knowledge and the chance to create better lives for themselves and their families.
Her victories over the years were victories for all of us, and her life was always about pursuing the seemingly impossible and doing what it took until the impossible became possible and the possible became common wisdom and best practice. The Board, management, and staff of the African Development Foundation extend our warmest sympathies to Mrs. Campbell’s husband, Dr. Jack Campbell, and to Mrs. Campbell’s children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. We are honored to carry on her good work, taking inspiration from Willie Grace Campbell’s example of a life well lived with purpose and passion.
Ward Brehm, Chairman
A Memorial Service for Willie Grace Campbell will be held on March 18, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. at the California Club, 538 S. Flower Street, Los Angeles, CA. Please RSVP by March 15th to Gale Netherly at (213) 624-1030 or via email at: gnetherly@rosekindel.com.