Meet Dr. Bill Cleveland
Dr. Bill Cleveland (’74) and his wife Verna Cleveland hosted an event in October connecting Pitt Alumni together at their home in Atlanta, Georgia. They have great passion about promoting the University of Pittsburgh and the surrounding community that welcomed Dr. Cleveland with open arms in the early 70s.
While attending Morehouse College, Cleveland, along with a cohort of his peers, were flown out to the University of Pittsburgh to be recruited to attend the School of Medicine. At a welcome reception at the Cathedral of Learning, Cleveland was told that if he attended Pitt Med, he would become a physician and he would be respected. This moment became a defining moment in Cleveland’s life.
Cleveland fondness for Pittsburgh extends past the university itself. He remarked that his neighbors and the community around him were incredibly supportive. He felt welcomed in their homes and could turn to them if he needed the comfort of a hot meal. Off campus, Cleveland knew that if he knocked on the door of a party, all he had to say is that he was a Pitt Med student, and would immediately be let in. “That wouldn’t have happened in Atlanta”, said Cleveland.
Looking back at his time at Pitt Med, his favorite memory was graduating as one of 10 African American students in his class. Cleveland remembers thinking, “This is a great day in the City of Pittsburgh”.
Today, Bill and Verna hope that one day their daughters will attend the University of Pittsburgh for graduate school, giving them even more reason to visit the city of bridges.