DETROIT – Cornerstone Schools in Detroit announced its co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer William Clark Durant III was inducted into the Association of Churchill Fellows, an honorary society of people dedicated to the development and use of the National Churchill Museum at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri.
He was inducted during the 2018 Churchill Fellows Weekend at the National Churchill Museum on the campus of Westminster College.
"I am honored beyond measure to have been inducted into the Society of Churchill Fellow at Westminster College and the National Churchill Museum, alongside my 98-year-old dear friend Mort Harris, a genuine World War II Air Force pilot hero in the European theatre," Durant said in a press release.
As Durant mentioned, he was inducted with other local leaders, including Mort Harris, the co-founder of Detroit's American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. and a World War II veteran who flew 33 combat missions.
"World War II was about a relentless fight for freedom against a well-armed enemy," Harris said. "At the outset, a successful outcome was uncertain. Churchill's voice gave us hope. His courage was contagious."
The two inductees were accompanied by two Detroit high school students -- junior Gevon Clemons and senior DaLayna Mitchell. These students were selected for their academic excellence and interest in history.
"As a native Detroiter, it was a joy to have two Detroit students travel to Fulton with me, and a gift to share my World War II experiences with them," Harris said.
Durant is currently the president of the New Common School Foundation and serves on the Coalition for the Future of All Detroit School Children, as well as being the co-founder of Cornerstone Schools, which serves more than 3,400 students. He is also a former president of the Michigan State Board of Education.