Center mourns passing of Dr. Ann Abadie

The Center for the Study of Southern Culture mourns the passing of Dr. Ann Abadie, whose vision as associate director guided the Center’s founding in 1977 and inspired its nearly fifty years of subsequent work. Ann wrote the initial grant that established the Center, and she was likewise instrumental in founding the Faulkner & Yoknapatawpha Conference, the Oxford Conference for the Book, and the Southern Foodways Alliance, among many other initiatives. In countless ways, large and small, she shaped the field of Southern Studies, and her legacy stretches to the students enrolled in our programs, to the work that we publish, and to the programs that we host. Although Ann retired in 2011, we continued to look to her for wisdom and counsel, and we will sorely miss her.

In 2019, the Southern Foodways Alliance presented Ann Abadie with the Lifetime Achievement Award to recognize her work and to honor her role in founding the organization. Kate Medley and Jesse Paddock produced the film Ann Abadie: In the Spotlight.