William "Bill" H. Child
Chief Executive Officer
R.C. Willey Home Furnishings
Salt Lake City, Utah
Dean’s Convocation – Wednesday, September 27, 2006
I have been very, very fortunate to have lived the American dream.
William H. "Bill" Child serves as chairman of the board of R.C. Willey Home Furnishings. When he started there in 1954, the company only had one other employee and a 600–square–foot store.
Under his management, the company has grown over the past 52 years and now there are more than 3,000 employees and 14 large stores in Utah, Idaho, Nevada, and California with an annual sales volume of more than $800 million.
In 1995, R.C. Willey was acquired by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. The Berkshire group ranks No. 2 in home furnishings in the United States. R.C. Willey has won many awards, among which is the National Home Furnishings Retailer of the Year in 1996.
A native of Syracuse, Utah, Mr. Child was married to Darline Willey, and they were the parents of four children. Following her death, he married Patricia Wright and together they have three daughters and one son.
Following one year at Weber State University, he earned a B.S. degree from the University of Utah in 1954.
In 1978, Weber State honored Mr. Child with the Distinguished Alumni Award. Weber State also gave him an honorary doctorate in humanities in 1983. Westminster College honored him with an honorary doctorate in business in 1998. In 2002, Salt Lake Community College presented him with an honorary doctorate of humanitarian letters. In 2003, the University of Utah recognized him with an honorary doctorate in business.
Mr. Child is a member of the David Eccles School of Business Hall of Fame at the University of Utah and most recently received the prestigious honor of being inducted into the American Furniture Hall of Fame in 2002.
Mr. Child now serves on many advisory boards including Weber State University, the David Eccles School of Business President’s Club, and the President’s Leadership Council at Brigham Young University.
Mr. Child enjoys golf, swimming, racquetball, and skiing and is very active in church and community. He and his wife, Pat, are the proud grandparents of 26 grandchildren and two great–grandchildren. They enjoy the opportunity of supporting many charitable organizations and educational programs throughout the country and state of Utah.