Bill Strickland

William E. Strickland (born August 25, 1947 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is a community leader, author, and the President and CEO of the non-profit Manchester Bidwell Corporation based in Pittsburgh. The company's subsidiaries, the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild and Bidwell Training Center, work with disadvantaged and at-risk youth through involvement with the arts and provides job training for adults, respectively. Strickland is a winner of a MacArthur "Genius" Award and the 2011 Goi Peace Award.

For other people named Bill Strickland, see Bill Strickland (disambiguation).
Bill Strickland
Strickland in 2008
Born (1947-08-25) August 25, 1947[1]
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUniversity of Pittsburgh
OrganizationManchester Bidwell Corporation
Websitewww.bill-strickland.org

Life

Strickland grew up in the Manchester neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Oliver High School.[2] He then attended the University of Pittsburgh, where as an undergraduate he founded the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild as an after-school program to teach children pottery skill in his old neighborhood.[3] He graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in American history and foreign relations in 1970.[4] Following graduation he continued to build the Manchester Guild into an innovative nonprofit agency that uses the arts to inspire and mentor inner-city teenagers.[5] In 1972 he took over the Bidwell Training Center that trains displaced adults for jobs.[6]

He has served on the boards of the National Endowment for the Arts, Mellon Financial Corporation, and the University of Pittsburgh.[7] For his work, Strickland has won various awards including a MacArthur Fellowship "genius" award in 1996.[8] He has been honored by the White House,[3] and received the Goi Peace Award in 2011.[4]

In June 2018, Strickland announced that he would be stepping down from his role as president and CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corp., but that he will remain on as executive chairman.[9] He had served as the leader of the organization for 50 years.[9]

Awards

References
  1. "About Bill Strickland". Make The Impossible Possible. Manchester Craftsmen's Guild. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  2. Brant, John (2005-09-01). "What One Man Can Do". Inc. Harlan, IA: Mansueto Ventures LLC. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
  3. Terry, Sara (1998-08-31). "Genius at Work". Fast Company. New York, NY: Mansueto Ventures LLC. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
  4. Blake, Sharon S. (2012-01-23). "William E. Strickland Jr., Pitt Alumnus and Trustee, Is Recipient Of the 2011 Goi Peace Award". Pitt Chronicle. 13 (2). University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
  5. Boss, Suzie (2009-01-28). "Passing Empowerment Down Through the Arts". Edutopia. The George Lucas Education Foundation. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
  6. Ehrbar, Tommy (March 1997). "The Genius of Manchester". Pitt Magazine. University of Pittsburgh. Archived from the original on 2012-05-25. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
  7. Abels, Caroline (2002-06-02). "Top 50 cultural Forces in Pittsburgh with a twist: No. 1 Bill Strickland". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, PA. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
  8. Nishi, Dennis (2009-09-08). "Social Innovation as an Art Form". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
  9. "Manchester Bidwell leader steps down after 50 years". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2018-06-13.
  10. "William E. Strickland Jr. - MacArthur Foundation". www.macfound.org. Retrieved 2018-08-12.
  11. "William E. Strickland Jr.: 2000 Honoree". Dominion.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-10. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
  12. Curran, Ann (January 2008). "Pittsburgher of the Year". Pittsburgh Magazine. Pittsburgh, PA: Wiesner Media. Retrieved 2012-01-25.

Further information
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