Bill was born in Mount Shasta in north central California. He earned a history degree from California State University in Sacramento. During college, Bill participated in the Marine Corp platoon program and attended Officer Candidate School for two summers. 

After graduation, Bill was commissioned as a 2^nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps where he served for 29 years and retired as a colonel. The majority of his military service was in armored tank units beginning in the Vietnam War. His career later included both command and staff positions. His final overseas duty station was with the Marine Corps Security Forces in Japan where he and his wife Janet lived in a home with views of Tokyo Bay. While in the Marine Corps, Bill earned a masters degree in political science from Georgetown University.

Bill spent three years in Norfolk with the U. S. Atlantic Command. His final duty station was as deputy director of the U.S. Marine Corps History & Museum, which let him combine his love of history with his military career.  

After retiring from the Marine Corps in 1995, Bill became director of the General Douglas MacArthur  Memorial in Norfolk. During his tenure he oversaw a major expansion to the Memorial. Although he retired a few years ago from heading the Memorial, he continues as executive director of the General Douglas MacArthur Foundation.

Bill and Janet have two children -- William and Sheryl -- and five grandchildren they greatly enjoy.  William's two sons are athletes. One plays lacrosse player for Mary Washington University, and the other is on the crew team for the University of Virginia. Sheryl is married to Rotarian John Searing. They have three young daughters.

Bill joined our Rotary Club in 1995 after being recruited by Jack Magee and Roger Flagg. He enjoys the interaction with the people in the club and Rotary’s commitment to “Service Above Self.” Bill is a Paul Harris Fellow honored for his generosity to The Rotary Foundation. 

Bill's hobby is collecting military antiques primarily from World War I. He chairs the Veterans Affairs Commission for the City of Norfolk and serves on the Board of the Marine Corp Tankers Association, a group of former Vietnam War armored tank veterans.