Archie Walter Willis Jr.

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Archie Walter Willis Jr.
Tennessee House of Representatives
Personal details
Born(1925-03-16)March 16, 1925
Birmingham, Alabama
Died1988(1988-00-00) (aged 62–63)
OccupationPolitician

Archie Walter Willis Jr. (March 16, 1925 - 1988) was a lawyer, businessman, and state representative in Tennessee. He was the first African American elected to state office in Tennessee in more than 70 years. [1]

He was born in Birmingham, Alabama. [1] He moved to Memphis in 1953 and helped establish the city's first integrated law firm. [2] He represented James Meredith who was being blocked from attending the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. [3]

Part of Auction Avenue in downtown Memphis is named in his honor. [2] The A. W. Willis Bridge is named for him. [1] He was married to the educator and activist Miriam DeCosta-Willis from 1972 until his death in 1988. [4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Willis Jr., Archie Walter "A. W." Tennessee Encyclopedia".
  2. 1 2 "Archie Walter "A.W." Willis, Jr". www.wknofm.org. 14 May 2009.
  3. ↑ "Ebony". Johnson Publishing Company. April 1965.
  4. ↑ "Miriam DeCosta-Willis (1934-2021)". Memphis Public Libraries. 2021-01-07. Retrieved 2021-05-11.


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