Carson Gulley leaves legacy of devotion to cooking, beloved fudge-bottom pie

Carson Gulley was born in Arkansas in 1897 to two former slaves. As a dormitory chef, Gulley cooked more than 16 million meals for hungry students in his 27 years on campus.

A friend and confidant to many students, Gulley was loved both for his cooking and for the smile permanently on display beneath his tall, white chef’s hat.

He developed the first recipe for the university’s fudge-bottom pie, which is still a campus favorite. He also created one of the first recipes for boneless turkey.

Gulley often held demonstration classes around the state, and he became the first African American TV star in Madison, assisted by his legendarily beautiful wife, Beatrice. He also hosted several radio programs and freelanced in cooking publications all over the country.

In 1936, Gulley developed a curriculum for chefs at the Tuskegee Institute, under the proud watch of George Washington Carver.

Despite his prominent status on campus and booming career, Gulley and his wife still faced the racial discrimination characteristic of the United States in the middle of the 20th century.

A younger, less-experienced white chef was appointed director of dormitory food services although Gulley was more experienced with a more prominent reputation.

The couple was met with resistance when they tried year after year to build a house in Madison after living in university-sponsored Lakeshore housing for decades.

Gulley appealed to the city council’s Committee on Human Rights. His testimony was partially responsible to the passage of Madison’s Fair Housing Ordinance.

Eventually, Gulley and his wife were the first African American couple to buy a house in Crestwood.

The Van Hise commons were renamed Carson Gulley Commons in 1966, four years after his death. Carson Gulley Commons was the first campus building named for a person of color and the first named for a civil-service employee.