William J. Trent

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William Johnson Trent, Jr. (1910-1993) was an African-American economist, non-profit director and civil rights activist from Atlanta, Georgia.[1]

Career

Trent was born in

Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania at the University of Pennsylvania[2] and did graduate work at the University of Chicago. He then returned to North Carolina and taught for two years at his alma mater and later Bennett College.[3]

Trent was part of U.S. President

United Negro College Fund from its inception in 1944 until 1964. After leaving UNCF, Trent worked for Time Inc. as assistant personnel director where he was concerned with race relations. He retired in 1975 and returned to Greensboro, North Carolina, where he died of cardiac arrest at Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital in November 1993.[3]

He served as treasurer and longtime board member of the National Urban League and as board president of St. Luke's Hospital.[3]

During his time at the United Negro College Fund, Trent raised $78 million for private historically black colleges and universities (HBCU).[4]

UNCF

Wharton Magazine referred to William J. Trent, Jr. as the architect of the UNCF having steered the organization during the chaotic civil rights period in the United States. Trent collaborated with Frederick D. Patterson, Tuskegee Institute president and Mary McLeod Bethune in founding the nonprofit that brought together several college presidents in raising finances as a group with the motto of "Appeal to the National Conscience." This collective fund was made available to eligible white and black students regardless of race in 1956.USA presidents like Roosevelt and John F Kennedy as well as business moguls supported Trent in this endeavor. As a young student, President George Bush engaged Trent as campus coordinator for Yale University.[5]

References

  1. ^ "William J. Trent Jr.; Led Negro College Fund". Los Angeles Times. 1993-12-04. Retrieved 2021-06-23.
  2. ^ "William J. Trent, Jr., 1932". University of Massachusetts. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  3. ^ a b c Pace, Eric (November 29, 1993). "William Trent, 83, Director of Negro College Fund". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  4. ^ "Wharton Alumni Magazine: 125 Influential People and Ideas: William J. Trent Jr". Wharton School of Business. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  5. ^ "Architect Of The United Negro College Fund: William J. Trent, Jr". whartonmagazine.com. July 2007. Retrieved 2018-05-28.

External links

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