Blenda Wilson (born January 28, 1941) is a retired American university administrator and educational executive who was the first African-American woman to become president of a large (over 25,000 students) American university. She was president of

California State University, Northridge California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge) is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. With a total enrollment of 38,551 students (as of Fall 2021), it has the second largest un ...

(CSUN) during the

1994 Northridge earthquake The 1994 Northridge earthquake was a moment 6.7 (), blind thrust earthquake that occurred on January 17, 1994, at 4:30:55 a.m. PST in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles. The quake had a duration of approximately ...

, one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. Wilson oversaw the rebuilding of CSUN over several years, costing nearly $400 million and repairing or rebuilding over 100 buildings on the campus.

Early life and education

Blenda Jacqueline Wilson was born in

Perth Amboy, New Jersey Perth Amboy is a city (New Jersey), city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, New Jersey. Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 55,4 ...

. Her parents were Horace Lawrence Wilson and Margaret Brogsdale Wilson. She received her bachelor's degree from

Cedar Crest College Cedar Crest College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Allentown, Pennsylvania. At the start of the 2015-2016 Academic term, academic y ...

Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Allenschteddel'', ''Allenschtadt'', or ''Ellsdaun'') is a city in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The city has a population of 125,845 as of the 2020 United ...

in 1962, her master's degree from

Seton Hall University Seton Hall University (SHU) is a private Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan un ...

South Orange, New Jersey South Orange, officially the Township of South Orange Village, is a suburban township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the village's population was 16,198, reflecting a decline of 766 (4.5%) fro ...

in 1965, and her Ph.D. from

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...

in 1979.

Career

Wilson held a variety of administrative and executive positions at universities and non-profit organizations, including the

Middlesex County, New Jersey Middlesex County is located in central New Jersey, United States, extending inland from the Raritan Valley region to the northern portion of the Jersey Shore. As of the 2020 United States Census, the county's population was enumerated at 863,1 ...

Economic Opportunities Corporation,

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

Independent Sector Independent Sector is a coalition of nonprofits, foundations and corporate giving programs. Founded in 1980, it is the first organization to combine the grant seekers and grantees. Located in Washington, D.C., Independent Sector largely works on f ...

, and the

Colorado Commission on Higher Education The Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) was established in 1965 by the Colorado General Assembly. The Commission replaced an association which met informally to consider matters related to higher education. The Colorado Department of H ...

). In 1988, she was appointed the first female chancellor at the

University of Michigan-Dearborn A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

California State Northridge

In 1992, Wilson was appointed the third president of

(CSUN). She was the first woman and first African-American to hold the position. Wilson was the first African-American woman to become president of a large (over 25,000 students) American university. She was president of CSUN during the

, one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. Wilson oversaw the $400 million rebuilding of the campus over several years, where 107 buildings were damaged or destroyed, making it at the time the most expensive natural disaster to impact a university in the United States. While Wilson received local and national praise for her work in earthquake recovery at CSUN, she also was criticized for scandals that marred her presidency. During a time of severe budget cutbacks, she was criticized for planning faculty layoffs. She responded by telling the CSUN Faculty Senate that "This is not an employment agency, this is a university."

Nellie Mae Education Foundation

In 1999, Wilson was appointed president and chief executive officer of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation in

Quincy, Massachusetts Quincy ( ) is a coastal U.S. city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest city in the county and a part of Greater Boston, Metropolitan Boston as one of Boston's immediate southern suburbs. Its population in 2020 was 1 ...

, where she served until 2006.

Community service

Wilson has served as a trustee for the

Getty Foundation The Getty Foundation, based in Los Angeles, California at the Getty Center, awards grants for "the understanding and preservation of the visual arts".Getty FoundationAbout the Foundation. Retrieved September 18, 2008. In the past, it funded the ...

, the

James Irvine Foundation The James Irvine Foundation is a philanthropic nonprofit organization established to benefit the people of California. The foundation's grantmaking focuses on a California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically. The fou ...

Cambridge College Cambridge College is a private college based in Boston, Massachusetts. It also operates regional centers in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Springfield, Massachusetts, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, and Rancho Cucamonga, California. History Founding Cam ...

, the

College Board The College Board is an American nonprofit organization that was formed in December 1899 as the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) to expand access to higher education. While the College Board is not an association of colleges, it runs a ...

, and deputy chairman of the

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, commonly known as the Boston Fed, is responsible for the First District of the Federal Reserve, which covers New England: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and all of Connecticut except ...

Personal life

Wilson has been married to Louis Fair, Jr. since 1985.

References

External links

California State University Northridge
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Blenda 1941 births African-American academics African-American educators American academic administrators Living people People from Perth Amboy, New Jersey Presidents of California State University, Northridge Boston College alumni Seton Hall University alumni Cedar Crest College alumni 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American people