‘His dedication to justice, inclusion and community uplift was unmatched,’ Dean Susan Gooden says.

Blue Wooldridge, whose commitment to equity in public administration helped shape generations of students at Virginia Commonwealth University and beyond, died March 22 at 86.

Wooldridge, D.P.A., joined VCU in 1988 and retired in 2019 as distinguished career professor and professor emeritus at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs. His scholarship reached across disciplines and borders, as he authored more than 150 publications and led training for public officials in more than 24 countries. He mentored public servants who now serve in cities, counties, state agencies and nonprofits across the country.

Former colleagues remember Wooldridge as someone who moved through the Wilder School halls with calm purpose and a reassuring smile: never hurried, always welcoming and holding space for others. “For more than three decades, Blue was a pillar of our school and a national voice for equity in public service,” said Susan Gooden, Ph.D., dean of the Wilder School. “His dedication to justice, inclusion and community uplift was unmatched, and his legacy will continue to guide our work.”

Wooldridge’s array of courses included public and nonprofit management, organizational behavior, human resource management and public policy analysis. In all subjects, he emphasized that equity was more than an abstract concept – it was an obligation.

His life story was as varied as his expertise. As a child, Wooldridge moved from Europe to Virginia, and he largely was raised in the town of Lexington. His undergraduate degree from Berea College was in physics. He earned a master’s in governmental administration from the Wharton Graduate Division of the University of Pennsylvania, and master’s and doctoral degrees in public administration from the University of Southern California.

Wooldridge was a storyteller and world traveler whose early roles included Peace Corps work in Nigeria and directing early childhood programs in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Even then, he was forming an awareness of public systems and fairness. As an academician, his research and instruction included a focus on identifying and overcoming barriers to the success of programs designed to promote social equity, strategies for increasing the effectiveness of management education and training, and obstacles to the implementation of innovations in public organizations.

Wooldridge was an elected fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and chaired its Standing Panel on Social Equity in Governance. He held national leadership roles with the American Society for Public Administration; the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration; and the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration. He also served as president of the Conference of Minority Public Administrators and VCU’s Black Education Association. Faye Belgrave, Ph.D., former vice president for inclusive excellence at VCU and longtime supporter of the Black Education Association, cited the lasting impact of her friend and colleague’s commitment.

“Dr. Wooldridge’s relentless pursuit of social justice and inclusion, along with his kindness and humanitarianism, provides a legacy for us,” Belgrave said. “His humor, wide-ranging interests and intellectual curiosity enhanced every encounter you had with him.”

Among numerous career honors, Wooldridge twice received the School of Community and Public Affairs’ Excellence in University and Community Service Award at VCU, and in 1999, he received the College of Humanities and Sciences Distinguished Service Award.

Wooldridge is survived by his wife, Annie Brittian Wooldridge, and by his son, daughter and four grandchildren.