Gladys Dandridge Oldham was born April 28, 1924, in Bassett, VA, to the late Frederick Douglas and Brooksie Sunshine Dandridge. The oldest of three children, her family moved to Maybeury, WV in 1937 and she graduated from Elkhorn High School in Elkhorn, WV, in 1943. She enrolled in Bluefield State College in Bluefield, WV, from 1943 – 1947 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration. She was elected "Miss Bluefield State Alumni" in 1950 and she received a Master of Arts degree in business education in 1969, from Marshall University in Huntington, WV.
From 1947 – 1951, she worked at Bluefield State in the business office. In 1951, she married Warren C. "Pete" Oldham and they moved to Winston-Salem, NC, where she joined the business office staff at Winston-Salem State University. While at WSSU, she worked as a clerk in the business office; served as financial aid officer; associate professor in the Department of Business and interim chair of the department. During her tenure as interim chair, she guided the construction of the R. J. Reynolds School of Business. She was awarded the Wachovia Excellence in Teaching Award in 1983, and retired from the university in 1989 after 38 years of service.
A 58-year member of United Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church, she served as a member of the Finance Committee for over 40 years and a member of The Ambassadress Club.. She was a life member and golden Soror of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and celebrated 65 years of membership in December 2009. She was also a member of Les Modernes for over 50 years; The Holidays of Winston-Salem where she served as a past president and was a platinum and 35-year member of The Links Inc., where she served as a past president. After her retirement, she became a docent at Reynolda House, specializing in African American art and she joined the Sir Walter Cabinet, an organization for the wives of North Carolina state legislators. She was a 50 plus year member of the Silhouettes and served as a past president of the Winston-Salem organization and an area officer.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, Warren C. "Pete" Oldham; and her sister, Lucille Williams.
She leaves to cherish her memory her daughters, Donna Elizabeth Oldham and Leslie Oldham (Michael) Winbush both of Winston-Salem, NC; one brother, Edward Dandridge of Cleveland, OH; two nieces, Anita Harris of Atlanta, GA and Barbara (William) Mayhan of Bowie, MD; nephews, nieces, cousins, great and grand nephews and nieces and a community of extended family and friends.
Funeral services will be held at Noon Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at United Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church with the Reverend Prince Raney Rivers officiating. Interment will follow in Evergreen Cemetery. Family visitation will be held from 11:00 am until Noon on Wednesday at the Church.
The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Ivy Beyond the Wall Ceremony will be held at 6:30pm Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at the Russell Funeral Home Chapel. The Links, Inc. Ceremony will be held at 7:30pm Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at the Russell Funeral Home Chapel.
The family requests that remembrances be made to the United Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church building fund; Hospice and Palliative Care of Winston-Salem, or the Warren C. and Gladys D. Oldham Endowed Scholarship at Winston-Salem State University.