The NIU Black Choir is now known as the Eddie R. Williams Black Choir. NIU president John Peters announced the name change Wednesday at Williams' campus retirement party: the executive vice president is retiring after 43 years at NIU.
Williams has been a major supporter of the choir for most of its 45 years on campus. Members of the choir performed at his retirement celebration, held Wednesday in NIU's Altgeld Hall. Speakers paying tribute to Williams included NIU president John Peters, former NIU trustee Myron Siegel, and Reverend Steve Bland, a former NIU Black Choir member who now runs a church in Detroit.
Williams recently returned to work after a two-month leave sparked by an FBI investigation of his low-income housing developments in DeKalb: that investigation continues.