Bill Child - Alumnus, B.S. Elementary Education

Alumnus, B.S. Elementary Education

William H. “Bill” Child serves as Chairman of the Board of R.C. Willey Home Furnishing. Under his management, the company has grown over the past 52 years from one employee to over 3,000 employees, from a 600-square-foot store to 14 large stores in Utah, Idaho, Nevada and California, with an annual sales volume of over $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, including the National Home Furnishings Retailer of the Year.

A native of Syracuse, Utah, Child was married to Darline Willey, and they were the parents of four children. Following her death, Bill 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. He was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award from Weber State College in 1978. He has received several honorary doctorate degrees: Humanities from Weber State University in 1983; Business from the University of Utah in 2003, as well as from Westminster College in 1998; and an Honorary Doctorate of Humanitarian Letters from Salt Lake Community College in 2002. 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.

Bill Child currently serves on many advisory boards including The David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah, and the President's Club and the President's Leadership Council at Brigham Young University.

Child enjoys golf, swimming, and skiing and is very active in church and community. He and his wife Pat are the proud grandparents of 30 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. They enjoy the opportunity of supporting many charitable organizations and educational programs throughout the country and state of Utah.