Asa G. Hilliard, III papers

1933, Asa G. Hilliard, III was born in Galveston, Texas to Asa G. Hilliard, II and Lois O. Williams. After studying education at the University of Denver, Hillard taught in the Denver public school system and joined the Army as a First Lieutenant. Hilliard returned to the University of Denver in the late 1950s, where he received his M.A. in counseling and Ed.D in educational psychology.

After receiving his doctorate, Hilliard taught on staff at San Francisco State University. He served as a consultant to the Peace Corp in Liberia and as superintendent of schools in Monrovia, Liberia before accepting a position as department chair and Dean of Education at San Francisco State University. In 1980, Hilliard was appointed Fuller E. Calloway Professor of Urban Education at Georgia State University, where he taught in three departments: Special Education, the Department of Educational Psychology and the Department of Educational Policy Studies.

While teaching at both institutions, Hilliard also served as lead expert witness on several trials involving test validity and bias. Included in these are Larry P. v. Wilson Riles and Ayers v. Fordice which was heard by the Supreme Court. Throughout his career Hillard served as a consultant to school districts, universities, and government agencies on African content in curriculum, assessment, public policy and teacher/staff development. He was a founding member of the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilization (ASCAC) and the National Black Child Development Institute, and he also spoke at the first Nile Valley Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

Hilliard was enstooled as Development Chief of Mankranso in Ghana where he was given the title Nana Baffour Amankwatia, II. Hilliard also led study groups to Egypt and Ghana for over thirty years. These groups included university students as well as groups of interested adults.

During his last trip to Egypt, where he was to deliver a keynote address and lead a group of Reverend Jeremiah Wright’s parishioners, Hilliard contracted malaria. Hilliard passed on August 13, 2007 due to complications of malaria while in Cairo, Egypt.

Hilliard was married to Patsy Jo Hilliard, former mayor of East Point, Georgia for 49 years. He and his wife raised four children: Asa G. Hilliard, IV, Robi Hilliard Herron, Patricia Hilliard-Nunn and Michael Hakim Hilliard.