Ulysses Samuel Washington Jr.

Dr. Ulysses Samuel Washington, Jr. A page turned, a chapter completed, a life well lived, a rest earned. Dr. Ulysses Samuel Washington, Jr. was born July 16, 1920 in Dillwyn, Virginia, Buckingham County. He was the second of eight children born to Ethel Jones Washington and Ulysses S. Washington, Sr. He attended public school in Buckingham County and graduated from high school in 1938. “Wash,” as he was affectionately known for years, attended St. Paul’s College in Lawrenceville, Virginia and later received his bachelor’s degree from Virginia State College (now University) in 1942. He fulfilled his World War II military obligation with the United States Navy from 1944-1946 as a landing craft motor machinist. He later attended Penn State University and Rutgers University where he earned his master’s degree in 1949. Ulysses Washington then came to Delaware State University (then, Delaware State College) in September, 1949 and began a career that would span 43 illustrious years. It was there that he met and married his former wife, Ruth Helen Washington, and was blessed with the births of their two children, Diane and “Ukee.” During his tenure at Delaware State, he not only held the position of associate professor but also served as assistant football coach as well as acting head football coach. He became Chairman of the Department of Agriculture and Related Sciences, Director of Cooperative Extension, and was Vice Chairman of the Association of Research Directors of the 1890 Colleges and Universities. He also served as Chairman of the Council on Athletics at Delaware State University, was a member of the 1890 Colleges and Universities, and was president of the council of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. An honorary doctorate was bestowed upon him from Delaware State University in 1981. Dr. Washington was widely respected and his work as an educator brought many awards, honors, and accolades his way. His untiring dedication to the financial success of the agricultural research program of DSU and other 1890 colleges and universities resulted in Congress passing the U.S. Washington, Jr. Financial Anti-Discrimination Act. Even after his retirement in 1991, the impact of his career continued. In 1993, the Ulysses S. Washington, Jr. Cooperative Extension Center was dedicated in his honor; in 2001, he was an honorary inductee into the Delaware State University Alumni Hall of Fame; in 2003, he received the Pioneer’s Award as one of the first administrators of the 1890 Colleges and Universities Chartered Extension; in 2009, he was inducted into the George Washington Carver Public Service Hall of Fame; and the awards went on and on. Dr. Washington was a devoted member of Whatcoat United Methodist Church in Dover. He could be seen sitting in the last pew in the back of the church almost every Sunday, looking forward to the choir singing his most favorite hymn, “I’m Blessed.” He also was a devoted member of his fraternity. He was initiated in Beta Gamma Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. on December 7, 1941 and was a charter member of Zeta Rho Chapter Alpha Fraternity, Inc., where he was recognized as a platinum lifetime member for his seventy years of “Manly Deeds, Scholarship and Love for All Mankind.” A selfless person, Dr. Washington, “Wash,” “Doc,” was known not solely by his accomplishments, but by the way he gave of himself and of his time. His strong belief in God and His plan that man should serve, rather than be served, was a driving force in his life. He was known to visit the sick, support and encourage his students and staff, and give tirelessly of his time and dedication to his family, whom he loved so dearly. As his health began to prohibit much of his mobility, he continued to maintain contact through daily phone calls to uplift and stay in touch with church members, family, and friends. The warmth of his presence, his wisdom, and his sincerity made him an inspiration as a father, a grandfather, a father-in-law, a brother, an uncle, a teacher, and a friend and the imprint that he made on those lives that he touched will continue to be felt for many, many years to come. Ulysses S. Washington, Jr. loved his family with all of his heart. He leaves behind to cherish his memory and celebrate his birth into Heaven, his daughter, Diane Carroll (Joseph) of Pittsburgh, PA and his son “Ukee” Washington (Laurie) of Wilmington, DE; his three grandchildren, Alysha Carroll of Pittsburgh, PA, Brian Carroll (Maryam) of Luxembourg, and Matthew Carroll of Pittsburgh, PA; his former wife, Ruth Helen Washington of Pittsburgh, PA; his two sisters, Dorothy Williams of Dillwyn, VA and Gladys Sands of Stone Mountain, GA; his three sisters-in-law, Ophelia Washington and Elizabeth Washington of Dillwyn, VA and Eva Washington of Washington, DC; five nieces and five nephews; several generations of cousins and their families; goddaughter, Kelley Renee Jones; special friend, Dr. Mary W. McCray and her family; dear friend and caretaker, Thomas Johnson; and a host of very dear friends and colleagues. To send flowers to the family of Ulysses Samuel Washington Jr., please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.

Ulysses Samuel Washington Jr.

July 16, 1920 - October 25, 2018