A 1959 graduate of Howard University, Bill’s firm was most active in Philadelphia. Between 1966 and 1975 he executed designs for two buildings at Cheyney University (a Maintenance Complex and a Dispensary) and the Lucien Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Public Library. He also associated with Vic Wilburn, Ted Cam, and Bob Saxon on various occasions. Ted Capers worked in his office during the design of the library and the buildings at Cheyney. He also shared office space with Joseph Baldino collaborating on the design of the Linglebach public school in Germantown (below).
I met Bill when I was “moonlighting” one night at Vic Wilburn’s office. Bill was sharing space with Vic and about to open his own office. He was confident that he “knew the right people”. And if he didn’t know them, he knew someone who did. In 1977 he used his contacts to gain an invitation to enter the design competition for the urban park now at 16th and Chestnut Streets. His joint entry with Saxon finished third to John Collins Adelman Collins and DuTot.
Bill practiced in the years before “equal opportunity” (Minority Business Enterprise) laws opened a few doors for Black architects. Once, in the mid-1970s, the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (PHDC) requested submission of qualifications from architects interested in assisting with a city-wide housing rehab program, Bill was insulted by the inference that a Black architect was only qualified to rehab abandoned row houses, He refused to respond and even accused PHDC of racism. His rejection of similar solicitations from various public clients led to a reliance on private clients – a very limited market for Black architects.
He was overtaken by illness in his final years and moved to Georgia, living there until his death.
PHILADELPHIA'S BLACK ARCHITECTS 1950-2000 