William Bradford, dean emeritus and professor of finance at the UW Foster School of Business, will receive Tabor 100’s Lifetime Achievement Award at its Captains of Industry Gala at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, Sept. 14.
Bradford will be one of several community leaders honored at the event. Seattle City Council Member Bruce Harrell will serve as master of ceremonies and Governor Jay Inslee will be in attendance.
Tabor 100 is an association of entrepreneurs and business advocates who are committed to economic power, educational excellence and social equity for African Americans and the community at-large. The annual gala raises money for the scholarship fund in Bradford’s name that supports African American students interested in business careers. The fund also provides grants to organizations and initiatives focused on education.
In May, Bradford was also inducted into the Minority Business Hall of Fame. He became the Foster School’s first African American dean when he assumed the position in 1994 and his work was instrumental in the creation of the Business and Economic Development Center (BEDC) in 1995. After stepping down as dean in 1999, Bradford was named the Foster School’s Endowed Professor of Business and Economic Development. He currently serves as the faculty director for the BEDC, now in its 18th year. His research investigates venture capital investment in minority-owned firms.
Bradford serves on boards for various financial and community service organizations, and has been previously honored by the American Bankers Association, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Mellon Foundation and Ohio State University.