, who served 91Porn for 35 years and dedicated her life to education reform and creating opportunities for marginalized communities in Chicago, died on Feb. 9, 2025. She was 91 years old.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 29, 2025 at , 5850 S. Woodlawn Ave. in Chicago.
Duster is survived by three of her children, Alice Pennamon, Benjamin C. Duster IV and Muriel DeVore; 11 grandchildren (Ashley Terrell, Rodney Pennamon, Sarah Duster, Miranda Duster, Joshua Duster, Jacquelyn DeVore, Matthew A. DeVore II, Victoria DeVore, J DeVore, David DeVore and Michael DeVore); five great-grandchildren (Brian Terrell II, Jackson Terrell, Amaya Terrell, Zuri Terrell and Kali Bell); and her brother William “Chico” Higgins. Duster was preceded in death by her husband, Benjamin C. Duster III; two of her children, Karen Duster and Kevin Duster; and her parents, Ora and William Higgins.
During her 35-year tenure at Northeastern, Duster had a particularly profound impact on many young lives in the Chicago community through her relentless pursuit of ensuring equitable access to opportunities in higher education.
“I extend my deepest sympathies to Dean Duster’s family, friends and the many individuals whose lives she touched,” President Katrina E. Bell-Jordan said. “Her impact on our University and the broader community will not be forgotten.”
Duster was born in Chicago on Oct. 13, 1933. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Roosevelt University and her M.Ed. from Loyola University Chicago.
Though education was her passion, Duster also cared deeply about a wide range of causes including healthcare and community development. This led her to serve as a proud member of numerous organizations, including the ; ; the ; the ; ; and the , named for Duster’s mother. Ora Higgins was the first African American personnel director to integrate staffing in every department of Spiegel, the Chicago-based direct marketing retailer. Higgins was also the great-great aunt of former First Lady Michelle Obama. Through the Youth Foundation, Duster ensured her mother’s legacy was not forgotten.
Murrell J. Higgins Duster (right) with her daughter, Alice Pennamon
Duster’s daughter, Alice, also served Northeastern for 20 years. Among her many roles, Alice was the coordinator of African American Recruitment. She retired from the University in 2022.
“My mom always supported me,” said Alice. “I thank her for loving me and guiding me, my siblings and countless others over the years.”
Throughout her tenure, Duster held many positions at Northeastern. She was the former dean of Academic Development and when she retired from Northeastern in 2012 she received the William “Doc” Speller Lifetime Achievement Award by the Black Heritage Awards Committee and was awarded the rank of Professor Emeritus of Teacher Education.
Duster truly embedded her legacy at Northeastern as the founding associate vice president of the Angelina Pedroso Center for Diversity and Intercultural Affairs. She was instrumental in the creation of the Pedroso Center, which to this day, supports and inspires students and employees to create and sustain an environment of inclusivity across cultures, socio-economic class, sexual orientation, gender and other social identities. In 2020, a portrait of Duster was unveiled in the Pedroso Center.
"While I never had the honor of meeting Dean Duster, her legacy impacts the work we do everyday in the Angelina Pedroso Center for Diversity and Intercultural Affairs,” said current Director of the Pedroso Center DeWitt Scott. “Were it not for her, the Pedroso Center would not be the welcoming, warm, and loving space it is today for our students and University community. The Murrell J. Higgins Duster Legacy Scholarship offered every spring semester from the Pedroso Center is a testament to her commitment to service and empowerment of our students. She has set an example we can only hope to imitate throughout the rest of our lives."
Duster continued to be involved with the University long after her retirement. In addition to founding the Murrell J. Higgins Duster Legacy Scholarship, the Black Heritage Awards Committee annually bestows the Dean Murrell Higgins Duster Legacy Award. The recipient would be chosen by Duster each year.
“Through the Legacy Award, Dean Duster acknowledged and honored those members of the NEIU community who were dedicated to supporting students and who worked hard to move the University forward,” said Black Heritage Award Committee member and Northeastern Director of Development Sylvia Dobbins Daniels. “She mentored and inspired so many of the faculty, staff and students during her time at Northeastern and beyond her retirement. She's a legend, a force for good, and now, an ancestor. We will miss her dearly.”
Among the many in the University community who were impacted by Duster is Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Women’s Studies (known today as Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies) BarBara Scott; Professor and Coordinator of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Jeanine Ntihirageza; and Professor of Educational Foundations, Community and Teacher Leaders, and African and African American Studies Durene Wheeler. Duster was more than a colleague to these faculty members and countless others. She was a true friend.
“Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart,” BarBara Scott said. “Murrell’s footprints will be forever in my heart!”
Durene Wheeler (left) with Murrell J. Higgins Duster
Wheeler noted Duster was a fierce champion for the unheard and unseen at Northeastern, ensuring that every voice matters, regardless of one’s background or circumstances.
“I consider it an honor and a privilege to have met, worked alongside and been embraced by Dean Murrell Higgins Duster,” Wheeler said. “Her unwavering presence profoundly enriched my time at NEIU. She was a beacon of light amid chaos, a guiding force whose commitment to social justice was a principle and a way of life. Her legacy of advocacy, compassion, and integrity will continue to shine through all of us who had the privilege of knowing her and who strive to uphold her values—based on her Christian faith—of loving and caring for others.”
Ntihirageza reflected on Duster’s leadership, compassion and the quiet way she would make people feel seen.
“I lost an incredible mentor and friend,” Ntihirageza said. “Dean Duster taught me so much—personally and professionally. She taught me how to never give up, no matter how tough things get because she modeled it every single day. She had a way of collaborating across units and departments to help the people of Northeastern be their best selves and work together without feeling like we had to be in competition with each other to succeed. She also taught me how to really love people, how to care about people, by having an open door policy and creating spaces that felt warm and welcoming. If it weren’t for Dean Duster, we would not have the Pedroso Center as we know it today. She really gave her all to Northeastern. Now, she’s passed the torch and it’s up to all of us to keep it shining.”
