Willie Williams

Willie Williams was an Indiana native. He earned a B.S. from the University of Illinois in Physical Education and his M.S. from Indiana University in Health Education. Williams taught and coached track for 11 years at West Side High School in Gary, Indiana, where his squads gathered five state titles. He is a member of the Indiana Track and Field Hall of Fame, the Gary (IN) Track and Field Hall of Fame, and coached the 1988 Saudi Arabian Olympic team.

Willie is a three-time All-American and two-time NCAA Champion in the outdoor 100 meters. He won a gold medal as a member of the 4 x 100 relay squad at the 1955 Pan American Games in Mexico. He also was a two-time 100-meter finalist in the 1952 and 1956 Olympic trials.

Williams was a long-time resident of Urbana, along with his wife, Barbara. He was the proud father of two daughters: Darla Williams-Tucker and Margot Williams, and grandfather to two grandsons: Thomas Rasheed II and Julian Lloyd Tucker.

Willie Williams passed away on September 7, 2019. He was 85 years old.