Life on the Color Line: The True Story of a White Boy Who Discovered He Was Black

Gregory Williams is a distinguished lecturer, professor of law, author, and attorney. Having served as the president of major universities and been awarded six honorary doctorates plus a bevy of national and international achievement awards, Williams is an accomplished, noteworthy individual quite apart from the accolades he received for writing his autobiography, Life on the Color Line.

Augmenting the chronology of his life story as recorded in his memoir, Williams followed his graduation from Ball State University by becoming a high school history and political science teacher in Falls Church, Virginia. In addition, he continued his education, acquiring a master’s degree in government and politics in 1969 and then a law school degree, JD, in 1971. He earned another master’s degree in political science in 1977, followed by a doctorate in 1982. Along the way, he earned a Master of Business Administration degree. In 1977, Williams began to teach criminal and political law at the University of Iowa. He quickly distinguished himself by being appointed to several prestigious, influential boards and offices, such as the Iowa State Advisory Commission to the US Civil Rights Commission. In 2001, he became the President of the City College of New York and, in 2009, the President of the University of Cincinnati.