Courage, Conviction, and Collaboration: What Today’s Higher Education Leaders Can Learn from Dr. Samuel DeWitt Proctor
November 4, 2026 at 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM.
Higher education leaders today are navigating an era defined by political polarization, declining public trust, demographic shifts, enrollment pressures, attacks on academic freedom, financial uncertainty, and growing demands for institutional relevance. While these challenges feel unprecedented, history offers powerful examples of leadership forged in equally turbulent times. This lecture will focus on the extraordinary leadership journey of Dr. Samuel DeWitt Proctor who led during one of the most consequential periods in American history. Drawing on Proctor's relationships with his contemporaries—other influential leaders of the Civil Rights Era—this lecture will explore how today’s leaders can translate moral purpose into effective institutional leadership; navigate public controversy while preserving institutional integrity; build coalitions across ideological differences; and elevate student success amid profound social change.
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