‘I just wanted to give back’: Business professor doesn’t let cancer define his commitment

For business professor Bill Tudor, teaching is at the center of his universe — and he doesn’t let his decade-long battle against cancer slow him down.

Between classes and making time for his students, every six weeks Tudor goes to the hospital to receive infusions to treat his cancer. He was diagnosed in 2016, which, in his own words, was quite the shock.

“The doctor said, ‘You know, a person your age, you've got probably five to seven years left,’” Tudor said. “My paradigm at the time was: it's a death sentence.

“I’d only known about eight people that had cancer, and all of them died within a year's time,” he said. “I got with my family, and we talked about it, and it was a paradigm shift. I had to change my mindset from ‘[I’m] dying of cancer’ to working with it and living with it.”

Ten years after his diagnosis — well beyond what doctors expected — he has not stopped showing up. Since 2016, he’s served on the board of trustees at Cancer Support Community Montana (CSCMT) and became the faculty advisor for a growing student club, American Indigenous Business Leaders (AIBL).

Tudor was born in 1952 and raised in Fort Smith on the Arkansas-Oklahoma border. In 1974, he earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Arkansas.

After graduating, he worked for Allied Domecq, a multinational beverage manufacturer, and pursued a master's degree in international management from the University of Texas at Dallas.

“I was dealing with a lot of offshore suppliers in various countries, so they were wanting an executive that had an advanced degree in international business,” Tudor said. According to him, his employer at the time paid for the master’s degree.

A year before his diagnosis, Tudor moved to Bozeman to be closer to his family. He then moved away for a few years before returning in 2019 to be closer to his grandkids. He said that he is not an outdoor person, especially during the winter.

“I love floating the Madison [River] in the summertime — but the wintertime? It's brutal,” he said. “My idea of winter sports is not busting my butt on the pavement outside, but family is here.”

Tudor said his experience with his cancer care team motivated him to get involved in the CSCMT.

“They did everything for me, and I just wanted to give back,” he said.

He was asked to serve on the board of trustees in 2022, a role he held until late 2025. “I did it and loved it,” he said. “It was my way of giving back somehow.”

During his first year in Bozeman, Tudor saw that the Jake Jabs College of Business was looking for an adjunct professor. “I applied, and lo and behold, they hired me,” he said.

Tudor started by teaching part-time and accepted a full-time position around 2023.

Despite his diagnosis, he has no desire to stop teaching anytime soon. “I really, truly care for my students and their learning, and that's why I want to help,” Tudor said. “I think I do have the experience [where] I can work with them and really make theory come to life.”

Two years ago, Tudor was approached to be the faculty advisor for AIBL. He had prior experience working with different tribes on entrepreneurial ventures, including the Paiute and Seminole.

“Indigenous people are really underrepresented in business," he said. “It's to mentor — to work with — primarily Native American and Alaskan Native students. It’s a really good chance to mentor and work with these students, to introduce them to thoughts and ideas and entrepreneurship.”

Tudor said that AIBL had a rough start this school year because all former members graduated. According to him, the club has since caught on and had enough members at their first meeting of 2026 to hold an election for leadership positions.

“I’m thrilled to death, you know? To see that happen, to finally gain some traction,” he said.

During his interview, Tudor did not shy away from showing his love for the college of business and said that the community is a big reason he has continued teaching.

“You know, I’m 73, and I just want to continue as long as my health will let me and the school will keep me,” he said.