Dr. Willie George Shaw

CELEBRATION OF LIFE of Dr. Willie George “Hawk” Shaw Willie George Shaw was born on March 29, 1942, in Jackson, Tennessee to Morgan Shaw and Vernell Saunders Shaw and transitioned to his heavenly home on December 23, 2022. Will was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Morgan Shaw, Jr., Albert Shaw, and Kenneth Shaw; his sisters, Margaret Shaw, Dorothy Shaw Littlejohn, Mildred Shaw Harris, Geneva Shaw Arnold; and his second wife, Linda Dupont Shaw. He was a member of Berean Baptist Church. He received his high school education at Merry High School, Jackson, Tennessee (1960); his bachelor’s degree at Lane College (1964), where he graduated Cum Laude; his master’s degree at University of Tennessee, Knoxville Tennessee (1968); his doctorate degree at Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee (1975), and did further study at Memphis State University, Memphis, Tennessee (1973 & 1985). After completing is master’s degree, he married Dr. Brenda Joyce Robinson Shaw, in Jackson, Tennessee, and from this union, two children were born, Dr. Stacey Alexis Shaw and Daricus Robinson Shaw. Will began his basketball career at Merry High School, following his older brother, Morgan Shaw, Jr. His Physical Education teacher contacted the high school coach, Mr. Jack Gilmore, who watched Will perform, which was enough to convince Coach Gilmore that here was a “natural star.” Coach Gilmore became Will’s first coach. Will eventually became the school’s second All-State player, following his brother’s footsteps, who had been the first All-State player at Merry High. Will’s highest single scoring effort through high school was 37 points. In 1962, Will was the leading scorer of the National Athletic Inter-Collegiate Association, which covered small college competition. His record as a sophomore was an average of 32.8. He played in a tournament with a cast on his arm and still scored his usual number of points. As a senior at Lane College, he averaged 40.4 points per game and had a burning ambition to become a professional basketball player. He played professional basketball for the New York Harlem Astronauts in 1965. He was a member of the 1964 NAIA Olympic Trials Basketball Team, and although Will had comparable skills to many at that time, he was not chosen because he and the school he attended were not well known. He was named to the Little All American Team in 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964. He was inducted into the original Lane College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982, commissioned and established by Dr. Herman Stone, President. He was inducted into the Jackson-Madison County Sports Hall of Fame on April 25, 1991, and inducted into the Lane College Athletic Hall of Fame on October 7, 2016. Will started his professional career at Lane College, where he was a full Professor of Health and Physical Education, Director of Institutional Advancement; Head Coach of Basketball, Cross Country, Track, Tennis, Baseball, and Golf; Assistant Football Coach; Activity Director and Administrator of NCAA and National Youth Sports Program (NYSP), and Athletic Director. He coached Lane College to its first SIAC championship in 1967-68. He supervised the Gilliam League Baseball team for the City of Jackson; served as Coordinator and instructor of the Gymnastic Team for the City of Jackson, was a Red Cross Water Safety and CPR instructor; and Commissioner of Baseball for the City of Jackson’s Department of Recreation. He was also a member of the Rockwell team which won the first championship in the Jackson, Tennessee Independent League. Willie George Shaw was he a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha, Fraternity, Incorporated, National Association of Basketball Coaches, Southern Coaches and Officials Association, and the NCAA South Region Tennis Advisory Board. He chaired the NCAA Division III Basketball and the All American Selection Committee, N. A. B. C. Division; served on the NCAA Planning Committee for Long Term Projects, NCAA Nomination Committee, and NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports. Will also served as chair of the Anti-Crime Committee for the City of Jackson Housing Authority, served on the Board of Directors of the Jackson-Madison County Airport Authority, and was a member of the Morehouse NYSP Advisory Board. He later moved to North Carolina, where he served at North Carolina Central University (Durham, North Carolina) as Assistant Professor of Health and Physical Education, Director of Recreation, Director of the Walker Sports Complex, and served as an NYSP evaluator. He later moved to Elizabeth City State University, where he served as Associate Professor, Chair of the Department of Health and Physical Education, and Athletic Director. He continued to serve as an NYSP evaluator. He then moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he served as Department Chair and Professor of the Department of Health and Physical Education at Morehouse College, Tennis Coach, with eight (8) conference championships and eight (8) SIAC Coach of the year awards, and two (2) Atlanta Touchdown Club Coach of the Year awards. He served as National Youth Sports Program Administrator, Faculty Athletic Representative, and Advisor to the Student Athletic Council at Morehouse, all the while serving as an SIAC Basketball Official. After retiring from Morehouse College, Will moved to Kansas City, where he coached middle school basketball and football and taught middle school health, physical education and reading, and supervised aquatics at the Foreign Language Academy. Will leaves to cherish his memory two daughters, Dr. Stacey Alexis Shaw of Crofton, Maryland and Lashanda Rodgers; three sons, Daricus Robinson Shaw (Tina) of Franklin, Kentucky, Stephen Manuel of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and Kelvin Dixon, and a step-son, Richard Dupont (Lucy); his first wife, Dr. Brenda Robinson Shaw of Durham, North Carolina; his sister, Ms. Alberta Shaw Kendrick of Palmdale, California and his 2nd mother, Mrs. Helen Porter (Mama Helen) and special sister, Daria Graves of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; two nieces Valerie Kendrick of Lancaster, California and Pamela Williams (Keith) of Los Angeles, California; three nephews, Aerick Kendrick (Dena) of Palmdale, California; Mark Thomas (Victoria) of Los Angeles, California, and Patrick Kenneth Littlejohn (Lisa) of Akron, Ohio; and a host of other nieces, nephews, family members, and friends. In lieu of flowers, the family is preferring donations be made to the Lane College Athletic Department, which can be found on the Lane College website. https://www.lanecollege.edu/alumni/in-memory-of-will-shaw

Dr. Willie George Shaw

March 29, 1942 - December 23, 2022