HARVEYSBURG — A local historical contributor and Wilmington College graduate has passed away at the age of 99.

Urcelle Carter Willis, of Harveysburg, passed on Monday. Jodi Black, president of the Harveysburg Community Historical Society, told the News Journal that Willis was a lifetime member and supporter of the Society and had recently been a trustee.

“Her mind was sharp,” said Black. “She was so vibrant and will be dearly missed.”

Willis grew up on a dairy farm in Clinton County and later graduated valedictorian at Kingman High School — now a part of Clinton-Massie’s school system, according to a document provided by Black. She would later go on to graduate from Wilmington College with a degree in business education, and then receive her master’s from Ohio State University.

She went on to teach business education at North Carolina College for four years, then returned to Ohio to teach at Central State University. There, she helped set up the National Defense Loan Program in 1959, and became a business education instructor. She met, taught in the same area with, and eventually married another professor at Central State, Herbert Willis. She spent 30 years working at Central State University, going from business education instructor to assistant professor, to acting dean, to what’s known today as Professor Emeritus.

Willis was described as being very active in the local historical society, bringing awareness to the Harveysburg Free Black School, the first free school for African-American children in Ohio. The school is now a museum dedicated to the school’s history.

The school was built in 1831 to teach African and Native American children “who had been denied the opportunity for public education,” according to a pamphlet provided by Black.

According to information provided by Black, Elizabeth Harvey and her family were Quakers who believed that all individuals deserved a quality education and the dignity of a learning place.

Willis’s grandmother attended the school. Willis attributed much of her academic success to her grandmother being educated and knowing its value.

No funeral or calling hour details were provided.

A story featuring the school and Willis is scheduled to air on WLWT on Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 4:30 p.m., and Monday at 12:30 p.m.

For more information about the school, contact the Harveysburg Community Historical Society at 513-897-6195 or email the Society at [email protected].

Reach John Hamilton at 937-382-2574