William Logan is a retired Evanston police chief and former director of safety at Evanston Township High School.
During his career, and now in his retirement, Logan has made community service—particularly mentoring African-American youth—a high priority. He says the Rotary Club of Evanston has enabled him to make an important difference in the community by supporting the projects he believes in.
Evanston native William Logan has achieved a number of “firsts” during the course of his lifetime. He was the first African-American homeroom president and football captain at Evanston Township High School. After returning from the Korean War, Logan joined the Evanston Police Department, where he was the first black sergeant, lieutenant and deputy chief.
In 1984, Logan was appointed Evanston’s first African-American chief of police.
He says he was inspired by fellow police officers to join the Rotary Club of Evanston in the early 1980s. “I knew Rotary did a lot for the community and for people around the world, and I wanted to be a part of that,” he says.
After 30 years of service to the Evanston Police Department, Logan retired in 1987 and took a position as director of safety at his alma mater, Evanston Township High School.
Community service has always been important to Logan. He’s served on dozens of boards and received several awards for both his professional and volunteer work. One of the projects Logan is most proud of is the youth basketball program he helped start in 1987. The program provides African-American men with opportunities to serve as positive role models for youth. “We feel very strongly about education,” Logan says. “It’s not just about basketball.
