William K. Lyles

William Karyle Odell Lyles (1919-2001 and one of the founders of the Association of Black Psychologists.

Early life and education Lyles was born in North Carolina to Nettie Lou (Scales) and Solomon Lyles. He had a younger brother, Alfred Francis Lyles, and a younger sister, Virginia.

In 1938, as a student at Winston-Salem Teachers College, he was recognized by the Omega Psi Phi fraternity under direction of Frederick S. Weaver for his essay on the assigned topic of "The Negro and the Field of Journalism".

Military service During World War II, from November 1942 to February 1946, he served in the U.S. Army, reaching the rank of master sergeant and serving in Europe and Asia.

He was the associate chief psychologist in the psychiatry department at Bronx Lebanon Hospital.

He co-founded the New York chapter of the Association of Black Psychologists, where he served as chapter president multiple times and created the Nelson Mandela Award.

Personal life He had a son, Don Lyles.

In 2000, he recalled: "We fought hard against Jim Crow laws, we would not accept them."