Adele Wells

Adele Wells died on January 9, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia at the age of 87. Adele was born Adele Lesley Bradbury in Essex England. Professionally, she pursued her passions in Education, the Arts and Philanthropy. Adele began her career at The American School in Switzerland, helping to establish the school in the mid-1950s. Later, Adele moved to Ithaca, NY where she served as the curator of the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art and later as Director of Corporate Development for Cornell University. In 1979 Adele moved to Washington, DC where she served as the first female Vice President of Corporate Development and Alumni Relations for Georgetown University. In partnership with President Timothy Healy, she helped raise well over $200M in her inaugural campaign. By the conclusion of her tenure at Georgetown, the university's endowment had grown six-fold, outpacing every other university in the country in terms of financial growth. In 1991, Adele was awarded a Doctorate of Humane Letters by Georgetown University. After leaving Georgetown, Adele worked for the UNCF, the fundraising arm of the country's historically black colleges. While at UNCF, she convinced Bill Gates to make his first charitable donation. Adele finished her career as an independent consultant, advising a variety of organizations including the Baltimore Symphony and Jacksonville University. Adele is survived by her son, Piers Wells, her daughter-in-law Cristin Wells; her sister Jeanne Bradbury; and her granddaughter Petra Wells, a. A memorial service will be held on May 11, 2024 at Georgetown University in Riggs Library, Healy Hall at 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in her memory to Georgetown University: Online: giving.georgetown.edu By Mail: Georgetown University Gift Processing, Department Number 0734, Washington, DC 20073-0734. Please designate your gift in memory of Ms. Adele Wells.