William Venoid Banks (May 6, 1903 – August 24, 1985) was an American lawyer and minister who is the first president and general manager of WGPR-FM (which became Detroit's first black radio station) and WGPR-TV (which was the first black-owned and black-operated television station in the United States).
William V. Banks | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Williams Venoid Banks May 6, 1903 |
| Died | August 24, 1985 (aged 82) |
| Alma mater | Wayne State University Detroit College of Law |
| Occupation(s) | Lawyer, minister |
| Years active | 1949–1985 |
| Spouse | Ivy Banks |
| Children | 3 |
Banks was born in Geneva, Kentucky, and graduated from Lincoln Institute of Kentucky. He earned degrees from what is now Wayne State University and from the Detroit College of Law.
He also attended the Detroit Baptist Seminary and was ordained a minister in 1949.[1] He was also the founder of International Free and Accepted Modern Masons.[2]
References
edit- ^ Obituary of William Banks, New York Times, Oct. 8, 1985
- ^ "Home". internationalmasons.org.
  | This United States biographical article related to radio is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |