Eric V. A. Winston graduated from Morehouse College in 1964 with his Bachelor of Arts and graduated from Atlanta University with his Master of Science in Library Science. After graduating from Atlanta, Winston worked at the Brooklyn Public Library until he was drafted into the military. When he returned from service in Vietnam, Winston worked as a Military Science Librarian for a year before he arrived at Michigan State University in the summer of 1969 to work as a bibliographer for the Center for Urban Affairs Library.

While at MSU, Winston continued his education by working on his doctorate of education. He was promoted several times within the Center for Urban Affairs from bibliographer, to the administrative assistant to the center director, and then assistant professor. He earned his PhD in Education in 1973 with his dissertation, “Black Students Activism at Michigan State University September, 1967–June 30, 1972: The University’s Response.”

After leaving MSU in the fall of 1975, Winston had a long career in higher education. He was the Vice President for Development at Wilberforce University for over twenty-three years, was a consultant at Central State University, and then worked as the Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Columbia College, Chicago for over seven years before he retired in 2013.