DescriptionOver the past few years, there have been a number of student protests at major institutions rallying for inclusion and equity. A primary demand is increasing faculty diversity. According to the 2012 National Science Foundation Survey of Earned Doctorates, Blacks comprised fewer doctorate recipients than Whites, Asians, and Hispanics. African Americans pursuing doctoral education have various sociological and institutional challenges. In light of the challenges facing African Americans, mentoring has been seen as a critical part of doctoral education for any student. This dissertation project explored a historical mentoring model of African American doctoral students using the late Rev. Dr. Samuel DeWitt Proctor as the unit of analysis. Dr. Proctor (1921 – 1997) was a theologian and educator who was brought to Rutgers University in 1969 to assist in the advancement of diversity and social justice issues and to increase the number of students of color in graduate programs. During his tenure, he has been noted for producing the most African American doctorates in the history of Rutgers. Using a hybrid approach combining oral history and narrative inquiry, this dissertation addresses the following research questions: 1. Was there an identifiable “Proctor process” of African American doctoral student mentorship? If so, what practices did it entail? 2. How might the Proctor process serve as a model for mentorship of African American doctoral students today? Primary and secondary sources were used in conjunction with an oral history of six graduate students mentored by Proctor at Rutgers between 1969 and 1984. These interviews were transcribed and analyzed to highlight emerging themes. An exploration of the influence of religion and theology on mentoring for social change was incorporated as well. The data led to the development of the Proctor Model of Mentoring, and challenges the literature to consider effective faculty mentoring, intentional mentoring models for graduate students of color, and unique approaches to penetrating the doctoral pipeline in higher education.