The mentorship that Lewis Williams received at Mercer University greatly impacted him and his future. That positive experience has inspired him to support and encourage young people throughout his successful career as an advertising art director.
Williams was born and raised in Macon and attended Central High School, where he was chosen for the University’s Upward Bound program. This federally funded program supports low-income students and students whose parents didn’t attend college in higher education pursuits.
As an Upward Bound participant from 1969-1972, Williams said he became familiar with the Mercer campus and got a taste of college life. He forged friendships with University students who served as tutors for the program and experienced dorm living for a couple weeks. As a high school senior, he took a University course for credit and was offered admission to Mercer, which he readily accepted.
“It was like a no-brainer. Mercer was it. I was done (looking),” said Williams, who began classes in fall 1972. “I felt like I was a part of Mercer before I was part of Mercer. I never felt like a freshman. I walked right in. I had the college credit already. It was a really nice campus. It was warm.”
Williams, an art major, said he found wonderful mentors in education professor Dr. Bobby Jones, Upward Bound director Samuel Hart and art professor Sam Hutto. As a Mercer student, he stayed involved with Upward Bound as a mentor and counselor.
At the time, students could take courses that Mercer didn’t offer at Wesleyan College, and Williams discovered a love for graphic design during a class there. While chaperoning a group of Upward Bound students to a college fair in Atlanta, he learned about the graphic design program at Kent State University in Ohio. Mercer didn’t have a graphic design program at the time, so Williams transferred to Kent State for his junior year and graduated in 1977.
He moved to San Diego to take a job as an advertising art director, discovering that he liked that career direction even more than graphic design. He worked at a few smaller agencies in Los Angeles before relocating in 1984 to Chicago — where he’s lived ever since — to work with one of the city’s largest advertising firms. Williams said he had previously shied away from living in areas with snow, but it was the kind of job he had always wanted and the right choice for his career.
Williams has worked on advertising campaigns for companies such McDonald’s, Toyota, Walmart, Google, Coca-Cola, Walt Disney World, American Airlines and the U.S. Army. He “semi-retired” in September and offers consulting services through his own small business, Williams Creative Group Chicago. His son, Milan, has followed in his footsteps with a career in advertising.
Mentoring and supporting young people as they consider their future paths has been a priority for Williams. He has made himself available to young people throughout his career, eager to share what he has learned and provide guidance. Williams said he sees himself in these young people because he once stood in their place.
“That’s a huge part of what I do. You go back to my days at Upward Bound where I had great mentors, and my church family as well and the support of my family. I’ve benefited so much. That’s something that’s near and dear to my heart,” he said. “It’s nice to share knowledge, and there’s nothing more rewarding.”
He and his wife, Dona, provide financial assistance to students in need through an endowed scholarship they established at Kent State. With nonprofit The One Club for Creativity, Williams teaches online classes every Tuesday and Thursday for recent college graduates who aspire to work in advertising. With a few friends, he recently started an organization called Chicago Brothers that provides professional mentorship to young Black men, and he regularly takes engagements where he can speak with local youth.
Williams has also stayed connected to Georgia and Macon. He still has many family members who live in Macon and Atlanta and visits often. During the 2023-24 school year, he talked about his career journey during a master class with students at W.S. Hutchings College and Career Academy in Macon, and he is currently working on an advertising project with the Douglass Theatre.
Williams hopes to make even more connections with his home city in the future. He is proud to see how far Macon and Mercer have come since he was a student.
“It’s nice to see Mercer grow. It’s nice to see that Mercer is a great citizen of Macon,” he said. “I like them being a good corporate citizen and helping Macon thrive.”
