Adrienne Seward was a retired professor of English. In 1981 she joined Colorado College’s Department of English faculty, where she loved teaching and loved her students—who knew she held high standards for both them and the college. As Colorado College’s first black woman tenured faculty member, she was dedicated to authentic and sustainable inclusive and equity efforts. As a result, she was awarded the

Packard Professorship at the college.

Adrienne graduated from Spelman College and after graduation joined the Peace Corps. Upon completion of her Peace Corps assignment in Ghana, she pursued a master’s degree at the University of California-Berkley and then a PhD at Indiana University. Adrienne was also a member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee.

As a folklorist, film scholar, theatre expert, and educator, she looked at life through a complex cross-cultural lens. She is known for her research on Toni Morrison and was on the board of the Toni Morrison Society. She assisted in the assisted in establishing the African American section of the American Folklore Society. She was also one of the principal creators of the National Black Arts Festival.

In addition to her research on Toni Morrison, Adrienne was known and respected for her work as a Fullbring Scholar. As a recipient of the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship, she spent her time as a Fulbright scholar studying in Ghana.

Adrienne retired in 2012 from Colorado College after 30 plus years of Teaching. In 2022 the college established Adrienne Seward Award for Courageous and Bold Actions.

Adrienne was a beautiful, caring and at times demanding person. She was the perfect combination of a steel magnolia and a diva.

While Colorado was where she lived, Atlanta, Georgia and the South was where Adrienne called home.