William “Sonny” Walker, native of Arkansas and graduate of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, was a civil rights activist and an accomplished public servant. His life was filled with unceasing activity and he stayed busy his entire life by serving others.
William “Sonny” Walker was born on December 13, 1933 to Mary Coleman and Reverend James David Walker. Walker grew up under the guidance of a strong family and he was deeply involved and committed to his church. He was raised by his Baptist minister father and stepmother Nettie Walker Harris in his hometown of Pine Bluff Arkansas. His grandmother was also heavily involved in his life.
He was a member of the Boy Scouts of America, and the Drama Society. Also an athlete, he played baseball, football, and basketball. After graduating from Merrill High School in Pine Bluff he attended the Arkansas Agricultural Mechanical & Normal College (AM&N College) now known as the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Sonny majored in English and History and served as the president of the institution’s Drama Society.
He considered education to be a lifelong process. Later in his life, after his careers had already begun, he attended Arizona State University, the University of Oklahoma, the University of Arkansas, and the Federal Executive Institute, where he would gain several more qualifications, including degrees in Administration and Counseling. He also gained several honorary degrees with one coming from Bennett College, a historically black liberal arts college for women.