Willis Hubert

Family-Placed Death Notice

WILLIS J. HUBERT Willis J. Hubert of Atlanta, Georgia died on Friday, May 11, 2007. After a distinguished military career in which he achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, Dr. Hubert became Academic Dean and, later, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Morehouse College. In 1943, he entered the U.S. Air Force (until 1947, the U.S. Army Air Corps) and trained at Tuskegee Army Air Field, where he was one of the original Tuskegee Airmen, under the command of General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. During a military career of 27 years, he had tours of duty in Europe and the Pacific, and he was the first African American to earn M.A. and Ph.D. degrees while on active duty, as well as the first to complete the Harvard Business School (Military Co-op) Statistics Training Program. As a Tuskegee Airman, he was awarded, in absentia, the Congressional Gold Medal on March 29, 2007 at a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol. Dr. Hubert was born in Savannah, Georgia on May 9, 1919, the youngest child of Lillie Jones Hubert and John Wesley Hubert. He graduated in 1936 from Cuyler-Beach High School, where his father was principal and his mother was a former teacher. After receiving a B. S. degree in 1940 from Hampton Institute, he completed requirements for an M.A. degree in rural sociology at Fisk University and then taught at Trinity High School in Athens, Georgia for a year. He later earned an M.A. degree from New York University, as well as a Ph.D. degree from NYU in 1961. A member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, he was active in several professional organizations, serving as president of the Southern Conference of Deans of Faculties and Academic Vice Presidents and as First Vice President of the National Association of College Deans, Registrars and Admissions Officers. He was a long-time member of Friendship Baptist Church. His devoted wife of 56 years, Evelyn Robinson Hubert, predeceased him in 2001, and he is survived by a daughter, Renee Camille Hubert of Atlanta, GA; a son, Robin W. Hubert of Dallas, TX; two sisters, Beautine DeCosta-Lee of Washington, DC. and Mamie E. Russell of Silver Spring, MD; and several nieces and nephews. Visitation will be held on Friday, May 18 at 10:00 a.m. until hour of service at 11:00 a. m. in our Cascade Chapel. Interment Forest Lawn Memorial Garden. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his name to the American Cancer Society; 2970 Clairmont Rd., N. E., Ste. 840; Atlanta, GA 30329. Murray Brothers Cascade Chapel, 1199 Utoy Springs Rd. SW (corner of Cascade Rd. near I-285), 404-349-3000, mbfh.com