William L. Malcomson *62

Bill died Aug. 10, 2021, at the age of 89.

He was born Feb. 24, 1932, in Cuba, N.Y. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Denison University and a master’s in divinity degree from Colgate Rochester Divinity School. In 1962 he earned a Ph.D. in the history of world religions from Princeton.

In 1963 Bill attended the March on Washington, hearing speakers, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who inspired his passion for social justice.

Bill served as pastor in several churches on the West and East coasts. His books included The Preaching Event (1969) and Success is a Failure Experience: Male Liberation and the American Myth of Success (1976).

Bill taught at Central Baptist Seminary in Kansas City, Kan., and the American Baptist Seminary of the West (now Berkeley School of Theology), where he rose to become dean. He worked to facilitate the hiring of women, Black, Latinx, and Asian American faculty. Bill’s involvement in community outreach and human-rights advocacy ranged from LGBTQ+ rights and the support of gay clergy, to efforts in interfaith dialogue, especially between Buddhism and Christianity. 

Predeceased by his wife, Laurie, Bill is survived by children Christi, Scott, and John, and five grandchildren.