Hiram College

In the early forties, a young history major and athlete, William Hollinger, was attending Hiram College. After obtaining his degree, he served in the military until 1946. Then, he headed to Stanford University for his graduate work. A one-year contract with Hiram College brought him back to campus in 1948, followed by eight years coaching at Ripon College.

But fate drew Hollinger back to Hiram for the final time. He was employed again by the College in 1956 as the Athletic Director. This time, he stayed. He coached a wide variety of sports until 1988, officially retiring as Athletic Director in 1989.

In 1956, Hollinger saw a much different campus. Then, there were tennis courts instead of Frohring buildings, and there was a gymnasium in the basement of Bates Hall. Hollinger worked with the Board of Trustees and major donors to build the facility seen on campus today. He also proudly remembered that Hiram got the firs! all-weather track in Ohio in 1964.

Some of the greatest events in Bollinger's career and life happened at Hiram. He was glad to recall the advancement of the women's athletics  program, the championship teams, and "the wonderful people that played for [him]." Also, he gladly served on the Appointment for Tenure Promotion (ATP) Committee for many years. He was selected to the National Collegiate Athletic Director Association Hall of Fame, and in 1999, he received Hiram's Lifetime Leadership Award from the Alumni Association.

Yet, his most memorable moment by far occurred when, as a student, he met his future wife, Esther Nelssen. Hollinger greatly lamented the loss of the Physical Education major at Hiram College. He greatly enjoyed teaching as well as coaching. Two of his favorite classroom experiences were the freshman colloquium and a course on athletic administration.

At a loss for a most humorous moment at Hiram, Hollinger simply said, "we had a lot of fun." There was not one particular moment-they were all good. "I never felt I worked ... the whole time [at Hiram College] I was surrounded by good people ... It was a daily experience." Hollinger held that Hiram was, and is, a community of close and loving people. To him, Hiram College meant everything. With affection in his voice, he said, "it is I who owe Hiram."

To new faculty at Hiram, Hollinger advises, "be close to your students; be there for them." It is important to be both academic and accessible to students.

As of his induction, Hollinger volunteered at Robinson Memorial Hospital once a week. He does a lot of reading and enjoys his four daughters and eight grandchildren. During the summer, he can be found working the front gate at Sea World of Ohio.