Judge William Edwards Hall of Fame Induction Touches A Community

MOUNT VERNON, NY — An iconic figure in Mount Vernon was honored in an enduring way by his alma mater this week.

Longtime Mount Vernon City Court Judge, William Edwards, was inducted into the Mount Vernon High School Hall of Fame at a ceremony held on Saturday.

"Judge Edwards was a true humanitarian," Superintendent Waveline Bennett-Conroy said in her opening remarks. "So much so, that since his passing, he has left an endowment to the Mount Vernon City School District. It was his wish that the endowment be used to support his alma mater in creating opportunities for scholars, wanting the best for every child."

SEE ALSO: Mount Vernon Judge William Edwards, Known For His Compassion, Dies

Friends and family of Edwards shared their fondest memories of the judge. The Denzel Washington School of the Arts choir and interpretive dancers performed and Mount Vernon City Court Judge Peter Davis recounted the influence Edwards had on his career.

"Judge Edwards called himself the teaching judge in Mount Vernon City Court," Davis said. "And I wouldn’t be standing before you here today as a judge if it weren’t for Judge Edwards. I feel blessed to follow in his footsteps."

Edwards was appointed to the Mount Vernon City Court by Mayor Ernest Davis in 2003, and he was subsequently elected in 2004. His current term was set to expire in 2023, but he passed away on August 28.

Edwards, who was known as a fierce advocate for his community his famed charisma and compassion, was honed in Mount Vernon, where he was born and raised. He made his debut in the Mount Vernon City School District as a student at Graham Elementary School. He then went on to Nichols Junior High School, where he was class president and received the keys to the City of Mount Vernon from Mayor August P. Petrillo.

In 1975, Edwards graduated from Mount Vernon High School in the top 1 percent of his class and was awarded the Humanitarian Award. He attended Williams College as a Stephen P. Tyng Scholar, which paid for his full four years as an undergrad and a subsequent three years at Columbia University Law School. At Columbia University, he was awarded the NAACP Defense Fund Award.

Edwards's career was built on providing justice for the underserved and underprivileged, and he served with his values firmly as the driver of his actions, according to colleagues who recounted his journey.

And that journey makes a compelling story.

Edwards turned down a role with the CIA out of law school because he wanted to serve his community and maintain his close ties to his hometown. Instead, one of his first jobs was with the New York City Department of Housing and Preservation. He worked to help families secure housing in some of the most challenging times of their lives. As the acting family court judge in White Plains, two of Judge Edwards' decisions were published in the NY Law Journal.

Judge Edwards is fondly remembered by his wife, Helena, and their children Jethro, Hillary and Diana.

"Thank you to the Mount Vernon community at large, from the ground up," his wife Helena Edwards, said. "With their thunderous support of my husband, they are the deep roots that held him together. They kept him firmly on the ground when the winds blew and the storms came, they held him up. Thank you. Today Mount Vernon is shining because one of Mount Vernon’s own decided that he was going to commit his life to doing the right thing always."

That commitment has paid dividends, both during his life and and will continue long after his death.

"Edwards made a lifetime commitment to serving his community, and for that he is being recognized in the Mount Vernon Hall of Fame," the school district said in a statement announcing the honor. "He stood for justice and equality in life, and he will always be remembered for those values."