Bill Leggee — A Melodious Story with a Significant Impact
Bill’s grandfather lived near campus, and he had always seen Olivet from across the prairie. He had never considered attending, even though he was from a Nazarene church. Bill’s journey with Olivet began when, unknowingly to Bill, his grandfather scheduled him an appointment with Dr. Larsen, the chair of the Department of Music.
Next thing he knew, he was an Olivetian, thanks to the encouragement of Dr. Larsen and his grandfather. He did not know he had true musical talent, but Dr. Larsen gave him confidence. Singing in Orpheus Choir and studying music education was not all that occupied his time. He met a beautiful biology major, Katherine (Meloy), whom he married.
After graduation, he planned on attending the University of Illinois to get his Master of Arts degree, but he was drafted. In 1955 he was discharged after years of playing the trombone in the Army.
Bill and Katherine pursued a great career in education and retired in 1993, after 30 years of teaching. A year later, Katherine passed away.
Today, Bill is still highly involved with music by serving as the music minister at his church and returning to Olivet as often as he can for concerts. Olivet is more than just a stage to him, though. Olivet is a “lighthouse” to the world, and investing in Olivet through a life income plan demonstrates his passion for his beloved University.
“When I came across the opportunity and saw how Olivet could invest it for me, I knew the only way to go was with Olivet!”
