TO THE CHAPTER INVISIBLE
Gregory H. Williams 1943-2025 Past University President, Educator, Author, U.S. Army
for the State of West Vir- ginia, where he served from 2003-2004. In 1982, West Virginia Governor John D. Rockefeller IV presented him with the “Outstanding West Virginian Award.” In 2003, Governor Bob Wise presented Tyree with his second Distinguished West Virginian Award. Tyree held leader- ship roles on multiple boards and commissions, including serving as Commissioner with the City of Charleston Civil Service Police Commis- sion, Commissioner of the WV Human Rights Commission, Presi- dent and Vice-Chair of the Charleston Urban Renewal Authority Board, Chairperson of the WV
Board and Steering Com- mittee, and the Charleston Chapter of the NAACP. He spent many years volunteer- ing as a mentor at Piedmont Elementary, Mary C. Snow Elementary and Chandler Academy, and passionately delivered meals for Meals on Wheels, Inc. of Charles- ton, WV. Brother Lew G. Tyree is predeceased by his parents and son Lew G. II. He is survived by his wife of forty-three years, Belinda ((née Boaz) Tyree. His surviving children are Anjanette ‘Anji’ Brailsford (Shawn Brailsford), Kelli R. Batch (Charles Batch), Stephanie Tyree, Esq., (Sam Petsonk, Esq.), Matthew Tyree, Esq., (Gretchen Tyree), and Andrea Tyree (John-Paul Castells). Lew has five granddaughters, Whitney Brailsford, Amber Brails- ford, Brooke Brailsford, Morgan Tyree (Austin Roberson) and Kylee Batch; four grandsons, Lew ‘Trey’ Gary Tyree III, Kayden Batch, Theo
T railblazing uni- inspiring public speaker, and nationally recognized leader on diversity and education, Gregory H. Williams (Cincinnati (OH) versity president, acclaimed author, Alumni 2011) entered the Chapter Invisible on August 12, 2025 at age 81. Experienced University President with a thirty-plus year career in higher education. Demonstrated university leadership and administrative expertise, record-setting fundraising ability, nationally recog- nized leader on racial and ethnic diversity, award-win- ning author and sought-after public speaker. Widely respected for work in athletics at university and conference levels. Gregory Howard Wil- liams was born November 12, 1943, to Mary Elizabeth Creasy and James Anthony ‘Buster’ Williams in Muncie, IN. As the son of a mixed-race black father and a white mother, race
became a defining issue of his childhood and much of his adult life. Williams’s personal story is vividly described in his award-win- ning autobiographical memoir, “Life on the Color Line: The True Story of a White Boy Who Discovered He was Black.” The book received the 1995 Los Angeles Times Prize for Book of the Year. Williams was featured on the “Oprah Winfrey Show,” “ABC Nightline” with Ted Koppel and “NBC Dateline” with Tom Brokaw. Brother Williams gradu- ated from Muncie Central High School then graduated in 1966 with a B.A. from hometown Ball State Univer- sity where as a student, he worked full-time as a deputy
Rehabilitation Board of Trustees, and Vice
President of the Board of Charleston Chapter of the Military Officer Associa- tion of America. He served on numerous additional boards and groups, including the Charleston (WV) Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi®, the WV Veterans Council, the Kanawha County Library Board, the Highland Hospital Board of Trustees, Keep a Child in School, the ACLU of West Virginia, WVSU Foundation
‘Teddy’ Petsonk and Levi Petsonk, and five great-grandchildren,
Josiah Moten, Ivy Moten, Ava Moten, Sophia Rob- erson and John Roberson. He leaves behind a host of friends and relatives. ♦
FALL 2025 ♦ THE JOURNAL 97
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