Bill died Dec. 18, 2016, in hospice care in Maryland. Born in Columbus, Ohio, he graduated from Darrow School in New Lebanon, N.Y.
A member of Charter Club, he majored in history and was active in sports. He was a member of the Presbyterian Student Council and sang in Glee Club. Bill spent three years at Union Theological Seminary, graduating in 1957. He was ordained and spent three years in Annapolis, Md., where he was minister of the First Presbyterian Church and director of the Westminster Foundation. His ministry continued for the next 15 years in Buffalo and Indianapolis.
His political career began in 1972, when he was elected to Congress. To quote him, 51 percent of the people of Indianapolis voted for him to return. He ran for and was elected mayor, a position he held for 16 years. He was able to turn the city into a hub for conventions and sporting events, spearheading the construction of the Hoosier Dome football stadium in 1982, which was able to attract the Baltimore Colts to move to Indianapolis. History will judge him for his ability to bring the community together to tackle the revitalization of the city. His last year as mayor was 1991, and a statue of him was erected in downtown Indianapolis in 2014. He later moved to the Washington, D.C., area and became mayor of Chevy Chase, Md., from 2004 to 2006.
The class extends condolences to his wife, Beverly; sons William ’84, Tim, and Christopher; and four grandchildren.