Archie Walter Willis Jr. Explained

Office:	Tennessee House of Representatives
Birth Date:	16 March 1925
Birth Place:	Birmingham, Alabama
Occupation:	Politician

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

• African Americans in Tennessee
• African-American officeholders during and following the Reconstruction era

Notes and References

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