The Chronicle of Higher Education November 14, 2010 William Blakey, Lawyer for Black Colleges, Dies at 67 By Katherine Mangan When a regional accreditor threatened to yank the accreditation of a historically black college in Florida, William A. (Buddy) Blakey fought back with the passion of someone who had a personal stake in the institution's survival. Mr. Blakey, 67, who died last month in a Baltimore-area hospital from complications of pneumonia, was an ardent champion of minority-serving colleges during decades as a Congressional aide and Washington lobbyist. At times, that passion seemed fueled by his sadness at the continuing financial struggles facing his alma mater, Knoxville College, a private, historically black college whose accreditation was revoked<http://chronicle.com/article/Knoxville-College-Loses-Bid-to/97893/> in 1997. "He always spoke proudly of Knoxville, and its struggles pained him," says Michael L. Lomax, president of the United Negro College Fund. When Edward Waters College, in Florida, faced an accreditation challenge<http://chronicle.com/article/Florida-College-Loses/2047/> in 2004, Mr. Blakey lobbied aggressively on the college's behalf. Its accreditation was restored<http://chronicle.com/article/Full-Accreditation-Restored-to/37204/> two years later. "He was determined because of his personal experience to ensure that these HBCU's are strong and have the resources they need to do their work," Mr. Lomax says. Mr. Blakey served as Washington counsel for UNCF, a coalition of 39 private black colleges, as well as the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, which has awarded millions of dollars in scholarships and aid to minority-serving colleges. "He was more terrier than bulldog," Mr. Lomax says. "He looked small and sweet, but God save you if he got hold of your ankle. He wasn't letting go until you said yes." In 1986, while working as an aide to Sen. Paul Simon, Democrat of Illinois, Mr. Blakey played a key role in drafting and moving forward legislation to create the Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program. That effort has helped ensure the survival of many struggling colleges by providing millions of federal dollars to upgrade facilities, expand course offerings, and support faculty and staff development. In his advocacy role, Mr. Blakey demonstrated his knack for winning over unlikely allies-in this case, Sen. Strom Thurmond, Republican of South Carolina. "He spent a lot of time working on relationships and understanding people, from the most strident conservatives to the most liberal politicians," says Alvin Thornton, a senior adviser to the president at Howard University, where Mr. Blakey received his law degree. Mr. Blakey's booming voice and distinctive laugh were frequently heard echoing through the halls on Capitol Hill. "No matter what office you went to call on or who was in the White House, Buddy had a personal history with the primary players," Mr. Lomax says. Norman C. Francis, who is in his 43rd year as president of Xavier University of Louisiana, says that while he was chairing the government-affairs committee of the United Negro College Fund, he worked closely with Mr. Blakey and witnessed his passion in fighting for funds, financial aid<http://chronicle.com/article/New-Panel-Seeks-to-Build/2501/>, and program support for HBCU's. "Sometimes he answered more aggressively than he should have, and I'd gently say, 'Buddy, I think you've made your point,' and he'd settle down." While he was best known for representing black colleges, Mr. Blakey took some stands that surprised those who followed his career. For years, he and some other lobbyists for minority-serving colleges stood alongside private-loan companies in fighting<http://chronicle.com/article/Minority-Serving-Colleges/64960/> Democratic attempts to end the bank-based system of federally guaranteed student loans. While loan companies offered some perks to HBCU's and other modestly endowed colleges, Mr. Blakey also had professional ties to those lenders through the practice he shared for several years with John E. Dean, a lawyer and lobbyist on student-loan issues for the Consumer Bankers Association. In 2008, Mr. Blakey's client list also included DeVry University, a for-profit institution, according to a lobbying disclosure report filed with the federal government. That year, while working as a lobbyist for the Thurgood Marshall Fund, Mr. Blakey took the same stand as for-profit colleges, urging Congress<http://chronicle.com/article/For-Profit-Colleges-Oppose/447/> to reject a proposed change in federal law that could make many of them ineligible to award federal student aid. He argued that the change could hurt black colleges, which, like for-profits, enroll large numbers of low-income students. At a time of budget constraints, it won't be easy to maintain the momentum<http://chronicle.com/article/White-House-Reaches-Out-to/124389/> Mr. Blakey helped build over decades of advocating for black colleges, higher-education leaders say. Mr. Lomax, of UNCF, says that while Mr. Blakey's contributions will be missed, "Buddy left an army of other champions who continue to make the case. He left strong supporters on both sides of the aisle." SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.