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Dr. A. Toy Caldwell-Colbert:
Forever Missed but Never Forgotten

Rarely does anyone make the kind of impression on me in the first few minutes of meeting that Toy made when I first met her. I recall the event—a holiday gathering at the home of Bill Harvey, then Vice President at ACE's Center for Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Equity. Toy, in her usual stately but beautiful appearance captured my attention when I overheard someone introduce her as the provost of Howard University. At the time, I was not even aware that Howard University had a female provost. I later learned that Toy was a graduate and a member of the Board of Trustees of Spelman College, but spent most of her academic career at predominantly white, Midwestern state institutions. She had held major administrative and faculty positions at the University of Illinois, the University of Kansas, and Indiana State University. So I was amazed that she had broken the barrier into a leadership role at an HBCU that was traditionally dominated by African American males.

After her brief tenure at Howard University, I had the privilege of working with Toy at the American Council on Education (ACE). Through our interactions, I learned to appreciate her truly collaborative leadership style and her sincere interest in my own career advancement as well as the career trajectories of other women of color who were making their way in academe. She did not give lots of lectures insisting on a specific course for pursuing one's career path. Instead, she provided opportunities—to work directly with her so I could get to know her personally, to gain insight into her values and approaches to leadership, and so I could witness another successful model of prioritizing family along with an accomplished career in academe.

Toy was a class act and an ultimate role model and mentor. Even in her last days while battling cancer (of which I was not even aware), Toy took the time to send me an e-mail to ask me how I was doing personally and professionally. I wish I could have been of assistance to her in some way, just to let her know how much I truly treasured her thoughtfulness, genuineness, and selflessness. I have decided that what I can do is strive to be more like her, but I certainly have an extraordinary lead to follow.

—Lovingly submitted,
   Gloria D. Thomas
   Associate Director, Office of Women in Higher Education