Established by gifts raised in a campaign led by members of the Williams Black Alumni Network, this professorship is named after one of America’s most influential poets and scholars, who was born in Washington, D.C. and attended Williams from 1918-1922. Each year, a distinguished visitor is invited to campus for up to one year to teach an undergraduate course, to deliver a series of lectures open to the public, to work with students individually, and to contribute to the awareness and growth of the Williams community. The Sterling Brown visiting professors are encouraged to play an active part in campus life.