John T. Willis is currently a Senior Executive in Residence in the College of Public Affairs at the University of Baltimore and has taught a wide range of courses in government and politics since 1999. He previously taught courses as an adjunct professor in the Economics and Business Administration Department of Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College) from 1979 to 1994 and, in 2005, taught courses at McDaniel College-Budapest in Hungary.
Professor Willis has conducted extensive research on Maryland political history, elections and demographics and has authored several publications and significant reports. He is the author of Presidential Elections in Maryland, a contributing author to Western Maryland: A Profile, and the co-author of Maryland Politics and Government.
A widely respected authority on Maryland’s political history and electorate, Professor Willis is a frequent contributor to broadcast and print media and has testified on numerous occasions before federal and state legislative and executive committees. From 2009-2021, he was the managing editor of Election Administration Reports, a biweekly newsletter read by election officials throughout the United States and in other countries.
Professor Willis has been a presenter, panelist, member and chair of numerous workshops, committees, symposiums, task forces and research projects related to the conduct of elections in Maryland and throughout the country.
From 1995 to 2003, Professor Willis served as the Secretary of State for the State of Maryland. He also served as the Chief of Staff to the County Executive of Prince George’s County from 1990-1994. He was instrumental in the reorganization of the Carroll County Arts Council in 1979 and served as its President from 1979 through 1984.
Professor Willis received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Bucknell University (cum laude) and his Juris Doctor from the Harvard Law School, with an emphasis on Constitutional Law. He is married to Dr. Kathy S. Mangan, Professor Emeritus of English at McDaniel College and a published poet.
