Mary Allen Jolley, born in Kinterbish, Ala., to Charles Neal Allen and Henrietta Pearson Allen, died peacefully Dec. 1, 2023, in Tuscaloosa at age 95. In a fitting public expression of her deep Christian faith, a Mass of Resurrection (funeral mass) was held for Dr. Jolley on Jan. 12 at Saint Francis Catholic Church, followed by a reception at the church.
Dr. Jolley's accomplishments are too numerous to list. She had about 40 honors and awards displayed on the walls of her assisted living apartment. Among them were two honorary doctorates, the University of Alabama Distinguished Alumna Award, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Realizing the Dream Founders Award for her civil rights work. These came from a life of service to those in need. It was a standing joke that anyone who visited Dr. Jolley should prepare at departure to receive a specific task to make the world a better place.
After earning her bachelor's degree from UA, Jolley served on the staff of Alabama U.S. Congressman Carl Elliott. She played a major role in the passage of the National Defense Education Act of 1958, the first national student loan program. After various posts with the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, Dr. Jolley became Vice President for Development at Trident Technical College in Charleston, S.C., from 1977 to 1984. There, she innovated education for women in non-traditional jobs. From 1984 until her retirement in 1994, she served as UA Director of Economic and Community Affairs. One of her practiced achievements at that post was the initiation of community-based Family Resource Centers, culminating in the Alabama Network of Family Resource Centers. Dr. Jolley continue to support its 22 centers that serve 44 Alabama counties with wise counsel until her death.
As her last great project, Dr. Jolley finished "Accidental Activist," her life story, in which she shares what she learned during a lifetime of effective work making the lives of others better. To honor her memory and further her life's mission, advanced purchases of her book, "Accidental Activist", scheduled for publication in fall 2024, are available by emailing her editorial assistant Jan Pruitt at pruitt.jan@gmail.com. All proceeds will benefit the Alabama Network of Family Resources Center.
To learn more about Jolley, visit al.com/news/2024/01/archibald-mary-allen-jolley-almost-died-and-then-she-was-unstoppable.html.