Marcelle Haddix’s appointment as dean is a homecoming of sorts — she was born in Madison (her parents met as UW–Madison students) and was raised in Milwaukee. In fact, her family’s enduring impact in Milwaukee is deeply felt. Her grandmother, Bessie Gray, was an innovator and pioneer in early childhood education in the city.
Her child care center, Gray’s Child Development Center, served the community for nearly four decades, eventually growing to include 14 locations across the city and offering scholarships, meals, and transportation support to some families. Gray also provided state-approved training workshops and training courses to child care teachers.
Haddix says her grandmother’s personal convictions and professional achievements are a guiding light in her own work. She says her grandmother wrote a poem, “The Will To Do,” that serves as her “North Star.”
“It’s how I think about doing the work,” Haddix says. “I know I’m ready for this moment because I have the will, and I have the desire to do good work, and that comes from being raised by Black women who made a way out of no way, who saw a need and did what they could do in their sphere of influence and resources to effect change.”