William Arthur “Buddy” Blakey (1943 -2010), a native of Louisville, Ky., made a national impact by devoting his life’s work to advocating for educational opportunities on behalf of minority and disadvantaged students. As a prominent Washington D.C. attorney, he led the lobbying efforts that resulted in passage of the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Act as well as the Thurgood Marshall Legal Education Opportunity Program Act funded by the U.S. Congress. He served as legal counsel to the United Negro College Fund for more than 15 years. In recognition of his advocacy for historically black colleges and universities throughout the nation, Blakey was inducted into the National Black College Hall of Fame in 2001.