Dr. Elliot C. Willard
Elliot Willard, "Doc", as he was affectionally known was a lifelong educator and community leader. In 1969, Dr. Willard was appointed the first lay principal of St. Augustine High School, a post he held for six years. He then served as assistant superintendent of the Louisiana Department of Education. He last served for seven years as principal of Booker T. Washington school. After his tenure in schools, Doc served for twenty years as director of community outreach programs in the office of District Attorney Harry Connick. From 1998 to 2004, Doc served on the Orleans Parish School Board where he continued to advocate for the students to get a quality education. He was known for visiting the schools in his district and getting to know the needs of the students he served. Doc Willard was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, Knights of Peter Claver, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the NAACP and the Urban League. He also was an active member of St. Raymond Catholic Church before the storm and of St. Raymond/St. Leo the Great after the storm. At both churches he sang in the choir. His example inspired two of his twelve children to run for public office and continue the family legacy of service. One former student is quoted as saying, “When we needed a talking to, he would come to the house and set us straight. He was a great man, a great leader. For me, he was my Martin Luther King.”
We honor and hold up the life, the legacy, the gift of
Dr. Elliot C. Willard!
