Joseph T. McMillan, the former president of what is now Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas, died last month at a hospice facility in Austin. He was 73 years old.
Dr. McMillan, the son of a minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, was a native of Valdosta, Georgia, and graduated from high school in Jacksonville, Florida. He earned a bachelor’s degree at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he majored in psychology. He held a master’s degree in student personnel administration from Howard University and a doctorate in higher education administration from Teachers College at Columbia University in New York City.
Before becoming the fourth president of Huston-Tillotson in 1988, Dr. McMillan served for 18 years as director of the United Church of Christ’s ministry in higher education. He served for 12 years as president of the historically Black college before retiring in 2000.
I remember Dr. McMillan fondly as a member of the small, select Huston-Tillotson’s Past President’s Club. We thank him for his service to HT and its students during his tenure at our Alma Mater. I am a proud alumna of HT, having graduated in the Class of 1968. May God Bless Dr. McMillan’s family and friends as they mourn his transition, and celebrate his life.
I worked for “Joe” when I was a grad fellow at Howard University. He was the Head Resident at Drew Hall. Joe was uniquely special and you knew that he would achieve great things. He did not disappoint! I will always miss him. He was an inspiration to others. May he Rest In Peace. He truly was a HU Alum that all of us in the HU Family can be proud of.
I worked for “Joe” over 50 years ago as a grad fellow in Drew Hall at Howard University. He was special even then and you knew that he would go far in the future and clearly, he did not disappoint. I am proud to see just how far his star did climb but not surprised in the least.
After all, he was a Howard U Alum and that’s what we do. Rest In Peace, my friend, you completed the mission and made an educational difference in the lives of others!