A noted alumna of the university and an acclaimed retired member of the Alabama State Legislature died.
The Honorable Senator Priscilla P. Dunn, a native of Birmingham, died Sept. 17. She was 80 years old.
Dunn received her bachelor’s degree in 1966 and a master’s degree from the University of Montevallo. She was a longtime educator and school principal in Jefferson County, Alabama.
In the school system, she was known for her kindness and generosity to her students by often personally paying for school supplies that many underprivileged boys and girls could not afford.
Her record in the Alabama State Legislature was also acclaimed during her 24-year career, when she represented Jefferson County in both the Alabama House of Representatives and the Alabama Senate.
President Quinton T. Ross Jr., Ed.D., who served in the Alabama State Senate with Dunn before becoming president of the university, shared that she was an extraordinary person.
“I am saddened to hear about the transition of my dear friend and former State Senate colleague,” President Ross said. “I learned a great deal from Mrs. Dunn while serving in the legislature. She was a quiet spirit with a mighty heart for others. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Dunn family.”
Dunn was an inspiration to many women and was remembered fondly by her legislative colleagues for her kindness and professionalism. That includes current state Sen. Merika Coleman, who succeeded Dunn in representing District 19.
“I and many other women stand on the shoulders of Senator Priscilla Dunn,” Coleman wrote in a social media tribute to Dunn. “To me, she was more than a mentor and friend; she was a mother-figure and the epitome of strength, grace and compassion.”
Dunn was also remembered fondly by her colleagues from across the aisle. Senate President Pro Tem Greg Reed said Dunn welcomed him into the Senate as a freshman and remained a warm, compassionate figure for both her fellow lawmakers and her constituents.
“Sen. Dunn served her district with distinction and honor, and I will remember her most for the kindness and grace she showed her constituents and colleagues,” Reed said. “When I entered the Alabama Senate as a freshman member back in 2011, Sen. Dunn was one of the first members to welcome me. She was a good friend to me, and I enjoyed serving with her on the Jefferson County delegation for many years. Our prayers are with her family and friends as they grieve her loss.”
As a Democrat, Dunn was a member of the Alabama House of Representatives from 1998 to 2009 and then won a seat representing District 19 of the Alabama State Senate, serving from 2009-2022.
State Senate Minority Leader and alumnus, Bobby D. Singleton ‘84 is a native of Greensboro, Alabama, and represents Senate District 24. He remembers Dunn fondly for her compassionate, yet powerful advocacy of issues relating to both education and the rights of women.
“She was sorely missed when she retired and now even more so since she has passed on to her heavenly reward,” Sen. Singleton said. “She was always well-respected in the Senate and was famous for her leadership in the area of women’s reproductive rights and education issues for students from kindergarten through the 12th grade in our public schools. She was a great friend to me, was respected on both sides of the aisle, and was more importantly, a friend to all the people of Alabama, regardless of their political affiliation.”
Dunn is survived by her husband, Grover Dunn and her daughter, Karen Dunn Burks, who serves as Jefferson County’s circuit clerk. Her funeral will be held on Sept. 21 at Bessemer’s Shady Grove Baptist Church.