2019 Recipient
“Challenging, exhilarating, and exciting”: words Barbara Jean Coffey, UNO’s 2019 Legendary Woman of the 1970s, used to describe her work as Assistant Dean of Student Personnel . Appointed to her Assistant Deanship in 1970, Barbara brought passion for education, community, and equality to the newly created Assistant Dean of Student Personnel position (formerly the Dean of Women) at UNO.
A Central High School graduate, and Omaha University alum, Barbara earned her first graduate degree from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. She continued post-graduate work in sociology at the State University of Iowa with ideas of teaching at the college level, but she found herself quickly drawn into community work.
Barbara joined UNO with enthusiasm in her new administrative role, and The Gateway noted that “she always liked school and the pursuit of academic knowledge and finds it ‘a pleasure to work with young people pursuing this too.’” During her time at UNO, Barbara also enjoyed teaching a sociology night class. As Assistant Dean of Student Personnel, Barbara’s genuine sincerity for students and education earned her many supporters across campus.
To UNO, Barbara brought with her a background rich in community experience. Having previously been employed with the Greater Omaha Community Action (GOCA) Organization, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of the Census, and the United Community Services (UCS), Barbara was well-equipped to serve UNO as the Assistant Dean of Students during the early 1970s, a time when the campus conversations often centered on inclusivity, diversity, and equity.
In 1971, The Gateway described Barbara as a “strong advocate of negotiating, compromising and meeting a problem from the middle of the road.” She was instrumental in creating a Health, Education, and Welfare proposal for UNO to secure funding for support services such as tutoring and orientation for low income students at the University, and she also initiated the Educational Support Program (ESP) at UNO, a program in the 1970s aimed at supporting disadvantaged students.
In fall of 1971, Dr. Coffey went on to serve as Assistant to the University of Nebraska President for Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, where she initiated many student, faculty, and staff-focused initiatives across the NU system to provide equal opportunity to all. While working at the NU-System level, Barbara also went on to earn her PhD in Educational Administration in 1976.
For her community service and engagement, Barbara has also received numerous honors and commendations from the Urban League, YWCA, Who’s Who Among Black Americans, and the Governor’s Commission on the Status of Women.