Determined that young African-Americans not face the same obstacles that he did, Nathaniel Willis Sr. dedicated his life to creating opportunities for students and encouraging them to pursue careers in the sciences.
A chemistry professor who was a leader in the local civil rights movement, Mr. Willis, 80, died Thursday, June 20, in the University of Chicago Hospitals of complications resulting from a fall.
“He was universal in his style,” said Timuel Black, who worked with Mr. Willis in civil rights organizations. “He embraced peace, justice and opportunity for everyone.”
A Georgia native, Mr. Willis and his family moved to Chicago’s South Side when he was a child. He attended Chicago public schools and graduated from Englewood High School. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and later earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry from Roosevelt University.
He took a job with Argonne National Laboratory and then was a research chemist for Bee Chemical, his family said. In the early 1960s he started teaching chemistry for the City Colleges of Chicago.
“He really aspired to medicine, but in those days that wasn’t an option for him,” said his daughter Dr. Deborah Willis-Fillinger.
Because of his own experiences with racism, Mr. Willis founded in the late 1960s the Council for Bio-Medical Careers, a group that encourages young African-Americans to choose careers in medicine. He encouraged college administrators to provide more opportunities for black students and arranged for students to have mentors, his family said. He was president of the group until his death.
Mr. Willis was passionate about civil rights and worked to increase community development projects in black neighborhoods. He was a leader of the Coordinated Council of Community Organizations, a coalition that dealt with civil rights issues in Chicago. He organized protests and served as a spokesman, friends said.
“He was very committed to trying to rectify the imbalances to some very serious social issues,” said Brenetta Howell Barrett, who participated in the NAACP with Mr. Willis.
He also was active with the National Association of Black Social Workers and the National Council on Black American Affairs.
Mr. Willis was a dean, director of evening programs and vice president of Kennedy-King College. He retired in 1991 but continued to participate in UN forums on the environment, another issue he was passionate about, his family said.
He also was president of Heed University, an online program that allows professionals to pursue advanced degrees.
In addition to his daughter, Mr. Willis is survived by three other daughters, Michelle Bey-Williams, Dr. Elizabeth Pryor and Jocelyn McClelland; two sons, Nathaniel Jr. and Kamau Foluke; and nine grandchildren.
Services are pending.
