Willie E. Gary has been touted by Forbes Magazine as one of the "Top 50 Attorneys in the United States" and Ebony magazine has identified him as one of the "100 Most Influential Black Americans".  Besides being the exceptionally successful attorney from Stuart, FL that these and others (see further on) have written about, Willie E. Gary is also widely known for his support of higher education and as a motivational speaker.

Mr. Gary knows about motivation because it required this element of his character to overcome all the odds to get his education and it required more of it for him to become known in legal circles as "The Giant-Killer" by winning law-suits against some of America's most well known corporate 'giants', including Anheuser-Busch and Disneyland, on behalf of his clients through his law firm, Gary, Williams, Parenti, Finney, Lewis, McManus, Watson & Sperando, P.L.

Brief Biography  Mr. Gary was born on July 12, 1947 to Turner and Mary Gary, in Eastman, Georgia and he and his ten brothers and sisters were raised in migrant farm communities throughout Florida,

 Georgia and the Carolinas.

Gary was an All-State high school football player and he parleyed these skills into an invitation from Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina for an athletic scholarship and a chance at his education.  Gary co-captained his team in 1969, 1970 and 1971 and this he was able to do after being told that 'there was no room' for him on the team.

He went on to earn his Bachelor's degree in business administration from Shaw and then continued on to North Carolina Central University in Durham where he earned his Juris Doctor in 1974.  Later, he moved back to Stuart where he was admitted to the Florida Bar and opened the first Black law firm in Martin County.  Throughout, Mr. Gary has been assisted by his childhood sweetheart, Gloria, who by then had become his wife.

Education has always been central to Mr. Gary's life, career and achievements.  He was the first Black man to go to college from the small town of Indiantown where he and his family had worked in the cane fields.  And, he still speaks of the little 'shack' where he lived in the Silver City settlement of Pahokee, FL when reflecting on his modest beginnings.

Known as a businessman, churchman, humanitarian and philanthropist, Gary is deeply involved in charity and civic work. He has always been committed to enhancing the lives of young people through education, an obvious reason why he would be interested in the work of World Literacy Initiative.

In 1994, he and his wife, Gloria, formed The Gary Foundation to carry out this formidable task. The Gary Foundation provides scholarships, direction and other resources to youth, so they can realize their dreams of achieving a higher education. In 1991, Gary donated $10.1 million to his alma mater Shaw University. He has also donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to dozens of Historically Black Colleges and Universities throughout the U.S.  His national television campaign, “Education is Power,” encourages children to stay in school and to be the best that they can be.

Prior to joining the board of World Literacy Initiative, Gary served on the board of trustees of numerous universities and foundations.  He has also received Honorary Doctorates of Law degrees from eleven universities.  His extensive community activities include membership in the NAACP, Florida Guardsmen, Inc., Urban League, Civitan International, United Way of Martin County and Martin

Memorial Hospital Foundation Council, and many others.

With his wife Gloria, Mr. Gary has 4 adult sons: Kenneth, Sekou, Ali and Kobie. Kenneth is president & CEO of The Gary Foundation and Gary Enterprises (the family’s real estate management company). Sekou is a member of the Florida Bar and recently opened his own law practice, Gary Legal Group LLC, in Miami, Florida. Ali earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and is Editor and Chief of “Update,” the firm newsletter. Kobie, is a graduate of Nova Southeastern University located in South Florida.

Career Accomplishments  Mr. Gary has won more than one hundred and fifty law-suits whose victories were valued at $1 million or more, including a $500 million award won in Mississippi.  Gary is a member of the National Bar Association, American Bar Association, American Trial Lawyers Association, Florida Academy of Trial Lawyers Association, Martin and St. Lucie County Bar Associations and the Million Dollar Verdict Club.

Gary's practice has since grown into the thriving national partnership known as Gary, Williams, Finney, Lewis, Watson & Sperando, P. L., consisting of 37 attorneys, a team of paralegals,

a professional staff of 120 including six nurses, two full-time investigators, an administrator, a certified public accountant, a public relations director, a general counsel, human resources director, and a full administrative staff. The firm operates out of three waterfront offices - two located on the St. Lucie River in historic downtown Stuart, Florida, and the third overseeing the Indian River Lagoon in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Mr. Gary's remarkable career in law and tireless work on behalf of his many clients has been well-documented on '60 Minutes', 'the CBS Evening News,' and ABC's 'World news Tonight with Peter Jennings'.  Further, Mr. Gary has been profiled on the 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous' and has appeared on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show'.  

In addition to the accolades received from Ebony and Forbes magazine mentioned at the start of this narrative, In 2002, Mr. Gary has also been featured in other national media publications including The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe, Jet, People, Black Enterprise, Fortune, The New Yorker and The National Law Journal. Despite his accomplishments and fame, Mr. Gary has always maintained the value of his firm religious beliefs and how they have aided him throughout his life.

In 1999, Mr. Gary helped found the Black Family Channel with co-founders baseball legend Cecil Fielder, four-time heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield, Marlon Jackson of the Jackson Five, and broadcast television veteran Alvin James.  The Black Family Channel was subsequently sold to the Gospel Music Channel in May 2007.

The Board  of World Literacy Initiative extends a warm hand of welcome to Mr. Gary, for the fight against the giant which they have been fighting, the giant of illiteracy in developing countries.  For every able hand is needed to help fight this global behemoth that entraps the children of impoverished, underdeveloped countries in lives of poverty and as anyone can see, the hands of Willie E. Gary are surely the most able indeed.  We welcome you to the fight, Mr. Gary!

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Information and verbatim quotes for this story were taken from the following sources which may also be of additional interest to the interested reader:

The Law Firm of Gary, Williams, Finney, Lewis, Watson and Sperando, P. L.
 

Willie Gary.com

The Gary Foundation

Shaw University

Wikipedia