Hulon Willis Association; alumni society named to commemorate Hulon Willis
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Willis, Hulon
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Hulon Willis Association; alumni society named to commemorate Hulon Willis
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Founded in 1992 by Dean Caroll Hardy along with several Wiliam & Mary alumni, this alumni association was named after Hulon Willis, who enrolled in graduate school at William & Mary in 1951. He gradated with a M.Ed. in 1956. According to their website, "the Hulon Willis Association (HWA) is dedicated to continued and sustained engagement of alumni of Black or African descent. It seeks to provide alumni opportunities to build community through connection with fellow alumni, students and alma mater."
Dean Caroll Hardy submitted a proposal to the Society for Alumni for the College of William & Mary on behalf of the steering committee. The Society for the Alumni officially recognized the Hulon Willis Association in April 1992. "The history of the association goes back to 1986, when Dr. Carroll Hardy... Julian White '83 and Elizabeth Young-Kirksey '83... first started talking about the possibility of forming a black alumni group." ("Hulon Willis Association Established by Alumni Society for Black Alumni," William & Mary Magazine, Summer 1992, 42.)
Hulon Willis was a trailblazer at William & Mary and beyond. He was one of three Black students in his high school and was also captain of his football team. He graduated with an undergraduate degree from Virginia State University in 1949 after he served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was admitted to William & Mary for a master's degree in education in 1951 and graduated in 1956. His late son Hulon Willis, Jr. '77 and granddaughter Mica Willis '13 also attended William & Mary.
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Hardy, Carol F.S.
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William & Mary Alumni Association
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1992
Position: 1441 (52 views)