George Willard (March 20, 1824 – March 26, 1901) was a politician and

newspaperman A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...

from the U.S. state of Michigan. He served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and was also instrumental in opening the University of Michigan to women.

Biography

Willard was born in

Bolton, Vermont Bolton is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,301 at the time of the 2020 census. The town is home to Bolton Valley, a popular ski resort. The main road passing through the town is U.S. Route 2, which fo ...

, where he attended school and received instruction from his father. He moved with his parents to

Battle Creek, Michigan Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, Michigan, Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo River, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek River, Battle Creek rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle C ...

in 1836 and graduated from Kalamazoo College in 1844. He taught school, studied theology, and was ordained a minister of the Episcopal Church in 1848. He served as rector of churches in Coldwater, Battle Creek, and Kalamazoo until 1863. He was a professor of Latin in Kalamazoo College in 1863 and 1864 and engaged in newspaper work in Battle Creek. He served as member of the Michigan State Board of Education from 1857 to 1863 and member of the Board of Regents of the University of Michigan from 1863-1872. While a regent, he was a strong proponent of the admission of women to the University of Michigan. He introduced an unsuccessful motion to that effect in 1869, but was successful on January 5, 1870, when the Board passed his resolution stating that "the board of regents recognize the right of every resident of Michigan to the enjoyment of the privileges afforded by the university, and that no rule exists in any of the university statutes for the exclusion of any person from the university who possesses the requisite literary and moral qualifications." Willard was a member of the Michigan State House of Representatives in 1866 and 1867. He was a member of the State constitutional convention in 1867 and a delegate to the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...

in 1872. He was elected as a Republican from Michigan's 3rd congressional district to the 43rd and

44th United States Congress The 44th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. ) , image_sk ...

es, serving from March 4, 1873 to March 3, 1877. He was not a candidate for re-nomination in 1876. George Willard resumed newspaper work in Battle Creek, serving as editor and owner of the ''

Battle Creek Journal A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

'' until his death. He was interred in Oak Hill Cemetery.

Ancestry

George Willard was a 4th great-grandson (7th generation descendant) of the Massachusetts colonist Simon Willard (1605–1676).

Notes

References

External links

The Political Graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Willard, George 1824 births 1901 deaths People from Chittenden County, Vermont American people of English descent Episcopalians from Vermont American Episcopal clergy Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan Republican Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives People from Battle Creek, Michigan 19th-century American educators 19th-century American newspaper editors 20th-century American newspaper editors 19th-century American politicians Kalamazoo College alumni Kalamazoo College faculty Regents of the University of Michigan Burials in Michigan