WILLIAM C. FERGUSON, '52, 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 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. Ferguson was master of ceremonies of the Hall of Fame Dinner from 1989 to 1994. While an Albion student, he was a letter winner and a four-year participant in baseball, playing on the MIAA championship baseball team in 1950.

Ferguson 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.

Links to Documents About William C. Ferguson

• 1997 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. (1998, Winter). Io Triumphe!
• 1997 Inductees. (2007). Albion College Hall of Fame.
• 2005 Alumni Awards Honor Achievements of Head and Heart. Io Triumphe!
• Barnes, Penny. (1997, October 10). Albion Legends Included in Sports Hall of Fame. Pleiad.
• Communications Office. (1999, October 26). Foundation Laid for New Student Services Center: $4 Million Ferguson Gift Will Provide Students State-of-the-Art Services. Albion College News.
• Jones, Jessie. (1999, October 29). Trustees Donate $7 Million. Pleiad.
• Klapthor, Jim and Sarah Briggs. (1999-2000, Winter). Student, Technology and Administrative Services Building Named for Ferguson: Albion College Receives Gifts Totaling $7 Million for Student Services Building and Student Residence. Io Triumphe!
• Office of Institutional Advancement. (2007). Meritorious Service Award Winners. Alumni, Parents, and Friends.
• Robinson, Chris and Christa Loffelman. (1996, April 12). Ferguson Will Give May 4 Commencement Address. Pleiad.
• Tradition and Technology Team Up in New Ferguson Building. (2002, Fall). Io Triumphe!
• Wright, Nathaniel. (1999, November 5). Karro Donates $3 Million for New Student Apartments. Pleiad.