In Memoriam: Professor William Cross

It is with great sadness that we write to share the news that Dr. William E. “Bill” Cross, Jr., Emeritus Professor in the Morgridge College of Education, passed away on Thursday December 5, 2024.

Professor Cross was an unparalleled leader in the study of Black identity for five decades and remained an active scholar and contributing member of the Morgridge and larger DU community until his passing. He had a substantial impact on the work of scholars of race and ethnicity in the areas of identity development, as well as diversity and inclusion in postsecondary education. His original work in Nigrescence shaped the study of college student development theory from the 1970s forward and continues to inform models of identity development across minoritized student groups. The publication of this original work is described by the American Psychological Association (APA) as “a transformative event, not only in the fields of Black identity and African American psychology, but also in the fields of cultural identity and cultural psychology.”

Among his colleagues and community, Professor Cross is remembered as a dear friend, brilliant scholar, generous mentor, and loving father. He was beloved by many who will miss his generative conversations, kindness, and deep and thoughtful investment in the success and development of others. He inspired untold numbers of Black students and faculty at DU and beyond.

Professor Cross earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Denver and a Ph.D. in Psychology from Princeton University. At DU, Professor Cross was a faculty member in both Counseling Psychology and Higher Education at Morgridge and served as chair for the Higher Education Department. Professor Cross’ impact stretched across many other institutions, including serving on the faculty at Cornell University, the Pennsylvania State University, and the City University of New York. Bill also served as president of APA Division 45.

Reflective of his substantial impact on the scholarly community, Professor Cross’ contributions were recognized through multiple awards and honors, including the 2001 Distinguished Psychologist award from the Association of Black Psychologists, the 2009 Social Justice Education Award by the Teachers College Winter Roundtable on Psychology and Education, a lecture series in his name starting in 2009 at Georgia Southern University, the American Psychological Foundation’s Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement in the Application of Psychology in 2020, and the 2022 APA Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to Psychology.

A memorial tribute in Professor Cross’ honor will be hosted at the University of Denver on January 25, 2025, in the Community Commons, with more details to come in the new year.

Our thoughts are with all those who knew Professor Cross. He will be deeply missed.

With very best regards,