Mildred Barnes Griggs, the first woman dean at the University of Illinois, passed away on July 28. She was 83 years old.
Born in Mariana, Arkansas, Dr. Griggs earned her undergraduate degree from what is now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. She earned her master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
In 1970, Dr. Griggs joined the University of Illinois faculty and became the first African American to rise through the academic ranks from assistant professor to full professor. She went on to become dean of the College of Education, making her the university’s first woman to serve as dean of a college. She served in several leadership roles outside of the university, including president of the American Home Economics Association and editor of the journal Illinois Teacher of Home Economics.
After three decades of faculty service, Dr. Griggs retired from the University of Illinois in 2000 and began a new career in law. She received her juris doctorate from the university’s College of Law and became licensed to practice in Illinois and Arkansas. As a consultant with the Eastern Arkansas Economic Council, she advocated for Black farmers who had been denied access to land, loans, and insurance by the United States Department of Agriculture. She also partnered with organizations such as the Arkansas Delta Seeds of Change and Heifer International to support sustainable agriculture and generational wealth preservation.