George Wiley

George Alvin Wiley (February 26, 1931 – August 8, 1973) was an American chemist and civil rights leader. Born in Bayonne, New Jersey, to a postal clerk, he grew up as one of six children in Warwick, Rhode Island. He earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Rhode Island (1953) and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Cornell University (1957), studying under Jerrold Meinwald.

After completing a six-month ROTC obligation as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, Wiley took a postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA. He taught at the University of California, Berkeley, before moving to Syracuse University in 1960. There, he became one of the few Black faculty members and co-founded the Syracuse chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in November 1961.

Wiley was a prominent figure in civil rights advocacy and a founder of the National Welfare Rights Organization. He was listed on Nixon's enemies list as a political opponent. His daughter, Maya Wiley, became a notable civil rights activist and lawyer.

Tragically, Wiley died on August 8, 1973, after falling overboard during a boat trip with his children on Chesapeake Bay. His body was found four days later on the shore of Chesapeake Beach, Maryland. The George Wiley Award at Syracuse University honors his legacy in organic chemistry.