Meritorious Service Award Winners

William C. Ferguson, ’52
Chairman and CEO (Retired) NYNEX (now Verizon)
Armonk, N.Y.

William Ferguson has been involved in Albion College in almost every way that an alumnus can be. A member of the Board of Trustees from 1980 to 2004 and chair from 1989 to 1996, he is currently an honorary trustee. Ferguson also served as the acting president of the College in 1995 and has been a visiting professor and guest speaker as well. In addition, he earned an honorary doctorate from Albion in 1996 and is a Hall of Fame individual and team inductee. He and his wife, Joyce, were also very active as Albion parents during the years that their daughters, Ellen and Joanne, were Albion students.

Ferguson has been central to Albion College’s quest for continuous improvement, and has brought all of his talents to bear in service to his alma mater. Drawing on his experience as a corporate and civic leader, he has been thoughtful, insightful, and analytical in envisioning directions for Albion’s future, in collaboration with the College’s executive team and his fellow trustees.

He and his wife, Joyce, have established numerous scholarships and endowments. These include the Joyce G. Ferguson 50th Anniversary Endowed Fund, Ferguson Technology-Aided Teaching Endowment, Joanne Ferguson Szeparowycz Endowed Scholarship, Ellen P. Keleman Endowed Music Scholarship, other endowed scholarships for students in education and in the Carl A. Gerstacker Liberal Arts Institute for Professional Management, and endowments for the Whitehouse Nature Center and the Dance Studio. He also played a key role in the College’s National Leadership Conference for alumni and friends.

Ferguson retired in 1995 as chairman and CEO of NYNEX (now Verizon Corporation) after a 40-year career in the telecommunications industry. Two of his passions—technology and communication—are evident in the design of the Ferguson Student, Technology, and Administrative Services Building, which bears his name and was made possible by a generous gift from the Fergusons. The building makes student communication with administrative departments much more efficient, bringing together an array of resources for students under one roof while at the same time supporting administrative collaboration. Additionally, the building offers sophisticated information technology for learning and teaching, contributing to Albion’s reputation as one of the most “wired” campuses in the country.

While his many commitments to Albion College have kept Bill Ferguson busy, he has still found time to serve with numerous community organizations and as a corporate board member.

Albion College has been truly fortunate as the beneficiary of his generous spirit and wise counsel.

Bill Ferguson makes his home in Armonk, N.Y. with his wife, Joyce (Albion’s First Lady, 1995, and recipient of the Briton Medallion). They have three daughters, Laura, Ellen, ’80, and Joanne, ’89.