William Henry Proctor, right, pictured with his daughter Fox 45 Reporter Brandi Proctor. (Courtesy photo)
By AFRO Staff
William Henry Proctor, a distinguished lifelong professor at Morgan State University and mentor to many aspiring business and law students has died. The cause was kidney failure.
Proctor was 75.
The esteemed educator and civically minded Baltimore resident was known for his keen intellect, irascible wit, and a passion for both the city and university where he spent his life teaching generations of college students.
“Dr. Proctor was the professor to challenge your limits not only as a student but also as a black man. He didn’t believe in you giving minimum effort in his class and helped you to see how his methods would transcend into your life after Morgan,’ said one of his former students, Derek Novel.
William Proctor was born Jan. 15, 1945 in Baltimore, Md. to Margaret Jones Proctor and Nathaniel Kipling Proctor.
He attended City College where he excelled in track and field. He graduated from Morgan State University in 1967 with a degree in business. He earned his law degree from North
Carolina Central University Law School in 1970. After a stint in the army as a second Lieutenant, he graduated from the prestigious Wharton School Business School with a master’s in business administration.
From there he began an illustrious academic career at Morgan state, running the business school at times and teaching generations of business leaders and aspiring lawyers on how to navigate the complex intersection between business and the law.
“He not only taught law but also practiced it. His practical experience with his clients and in the courtroom enhanced the learning experience. His stories of how law cases actually played out in the real world made the class very exciting,” said Zach Pencarski, another former student.
His presence loomed large outside the classroom as well. His daughter, Brandi Proctor, a reporter for Fox 45 in Baltimore, recalled that her father was gentleman who taught valuable life lessons infused with a sense of style and dignity that will live on in her and others
“My dad was the ultimate gentleman, he didn’t curse around women, he wore full suits and only shirts with French cuffs! He instilled the importance of education and appearance,” she said.
“When I posted word of his illness online, I was floored by the student reaction, hundreds of people commented, saying how he’d impacted their lives! Some credited him with their professional success, and some said he was the sole reason they became attorneys, too.”
Along with his academic career, Proctor ran a thriving private practice according to his daughter.
Memorial services will be held on Nov. 8 at the Wylie Funeral Home located at 701 N. Mount St., Baltimore, Md. 21217. The service will be outdoors and socially distanced. Family visitation starts at 11 a.m.