Dr. Frank B. Wilderson Jr., a pioneering scholar at the intersection of mental health and special education, has died at 94 in Minnesota. No cause of death was released.
His passing on June 17 was announced by his family and later by his institution, the University of Minnesota.
“A man of intellect and deep conviction, Dr. Wilderson dedicated his life to uplifting others, particularly those marginalized by systems that overlooked their inherent worth,” White wrote.
“He did not merely open doors; he ensured that others had the opportunity to walk through them.”
Born in 1931, Wilderson was a native of Lutcher, Louisiana, and studied education at Xavier University of Louisiana, the nation’s Catholic HBCU. He later matriculated to the University of Michigan, where he earned a master’s in child development and a PhD in educational psychology.
While studying for his doctorate, Wilderson was already beginning to support children with reading disabilities and cofounded Michigan’s first Council for Exceptional Children chapter, with a focus on emotional and behavioral disorders.
Wilderson was hired at the University of Minnesota’s College of Education in 1962, becoming the first Black tenure-track professor in the history of the school. A clinical psychologist by trade, he covered a broad set of issues in the education field, including the need for culturally sensitive methods in special education.
Wilderson became a founding member of the National Association of Black Psychologists in 1968, and was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to serve on the White House’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, where he helped develop what became the Office of Education’s Bureau for the Handicapped.
His scholarship helped formalize what became the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) framework for children in U.S. public schools and he also ran the college’s Urban Education Program, which trained elementary school teachers in responsible discipline for students with special needs.
Wilderon is also recognized for his role in the Black campus movement of the late 20th century. Following the takeover of UMN’s Morrill Hall academic building by African-American students protesting racism in 1969, Wilderson helped negotiate with them to create the school’s Black studies department.
After serving as an assistant dean, Wilderson was named the university’s first Black vice president in 1975, heading student affairs partially in recognition for his efforts during the student protest. He served in the role for 14 years, later taking on oversight of the school’s athletics department and campus police as well. During his tenure, he worked with students on various causes, including the school’s divestment from apartheid South Africa.
Wilderson returned to teaching on special education thereafter, while also working outside of the school with the Minnesota Department of Corrections, rehab centers, and the Betty Ford and Bush foundations. During these years he co-authored the Discovering Diversity Profile, which continues to be used in various settings. He retired from UMN in 1993.
A devout Catholic, Wilderson served on the boards for Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary in Collegeville and the University of St. Thomas. With his wife, Dr. Ida-Lorraine Wilderson, he served as co-chair of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Annual Appeal. They were also faithful members of the Basilica of St. Mary.
At the time of his death, Wilderson resided at The Kenwood senior living facility in Minneapolis, and had recently been in treatment for esophageal cancer and pneumonia. His family noted that he passed away in his sleep roughly a month after returning home from a hospitalization.
Wilderson was predeceased by his wife, Ida-Lorraine, and a brother, the psychologist Thaddeus Wilkerson. He is survived by siblings Althea Armstrong, Ralph Wilderson, Norman Wilderson, and Lorraine Clement; and his four children, the critical theorist Frank B. Wilderson III, actor Wayne Wilderson, jewelry designer Amy Wilderson, and teacher-artist Fawn Wilderson.
A wake service for Wilderson is scheduled for Wednesday, July 9, at Estes Funeral Chapel in Minneapolis at 6pm CT. Visitation will take place Thursday at 3pm in the Basilica of St. Mary, the co-cathedral of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. A funeral Mass will follow in the church at 4pm.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Ministry of the Basilica of St. Mary or to Xavier University of Louisiana.
Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.
