The legal community, civic leaders, and generations of mentees are mourning the loss of The Honorable Ulysses Whittaker Boykin, who passed away peacefully on May 10, 2025. He was 79.
Judge Boykin’s life was defined by discipline, study, and unwavering commitment to service. Born on November 8, 1945, in Detroit, Michigan, he was the only child of Ulysses Boykin II and Cecil Whittaker Boykin. He came up through Detroit Public Schools and graduated from Cass Technical High School in 1963, where he focused on chemical-biological studies—a reflection of his early academic discipline and curiosity.
Instead of pursuing the sciences, Boykin turned toward history, enrolling at Hampton Institute in Virginia, a historically Black university that sharpened his academic resolve and grounded his sense of community. He graduated summa cum laude in 1967 with a degree in history. While at Hampton, he joined Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, cementing bonds that would remain with him for life…