Willey, Malcolm M. (Malcolm Macdonald), 1897-1974

Malcolm M. Willey came to the University of Minnesota in 1927 as an instructor in sociology. He became a full professor in 1929, Dean and Assistant to the President in 1934, and Vice President of Academic Administration in 1943, retiring in 1963. Dr. Willey next headed a Ford Foundation team at the University of Calcutta (1963?-1968), and then joined the faculty of Maryville College (Tennessee), working as academic executive officer (1969-1971).

Malcolm Macdonald Willey was born in 1897 in Portland, Maine. He received a bachelor's degree in sociology from Clark University in 1920 and a master's and Ph.D. degrees from Columbia University. After teaching at Dartmouth and Syracuse universities, he came to the University of Minnesota in 1927 as an instructor in sociology. He became a full professor in 1929, Dean and Assistant to the President in 1934, and Vice President of Academic Administration in 1943, retiring in 1963. Dr. Willey next headed a Ford Foundation team at the University of Calcutta (1963?-1968), and then joined the faculty of Maryville College (Tennessee), working as academic executive officer (1969-1971). He died from cancer in 1974.

Malcolm Willey was born on November 13, 1897 in Portland, Maine. He received a B.A. degree in 1920 from Clark University and his M.A. (1921) and Ph.D. (1926) from Columbia University. He served on the faculty of Dartmouth (1923-1927) and Syracuse Universities (1926-1927) before coming to the University of Minnesota in 1927. Dr. Willey was appointed the position of associate professor of sociology (1927-1929) at the University of Minnesota and became a full professor in 1929. Dr. Willey was promoted to assistant to the President in 1932 and University dean in 1934. In 1943 he became the first Vice President of Academic Administration and remained in that position until his retirement in 1963.

One of Dr. Willey's most notable contributions to the University of Minnesota was his authorship of the first faculty tenure code, approved by the Board of Regents' in 1938. The code stated that faculty had the freedom to write and speak about any issue outside of the University. Dr. Willey's decision to include a statement on academic freedom was directly linked to the dismissal of William Schaper from the faculty in 1917 after he publicly criticized the United States involvement in World War I. The writing of the tenure code by Dr. Willey corresponded with the reinstatement of Dr. Schaper to the academic staff of the University as professor emeritus.

After Dr. Willey's retirement, he went to the University of Calcutta as head of a Ford Foundation team to reorganize the educational and administrative structure of that institution. Upon returning to the United States from India in 1968, Dr. Willey joined the faculty as head of the Sociology Department at Maryville College, Maryville, Tennessee. He served as academic executive officer from 1969-1971, and was on the faculty there until his death from cancer on February 12, 1974.

For more complete biographical information, see Who Was Who in America, volume 6.