The Office of Diversity and Inclusion mourns the loss of Dr. William “Bill” F. Pickard, a staunch supporter of ODI, who died on June 12, 2024.
A high-profile entrepreneur once named Michigander of the Year for his generous support of higher education causes in the Wolverine State, Dr. Pickard established a scholarship in 2021 for students highly engaged with the Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center. It was the third gift that Dr. Pickard bestowed upon the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. In 2020, he gave another gift to the Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male (BNRC) for those students who are members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Kappa Chapter and are engaged in important causes in the African American community. He created the William F. Pickard Scholars Program in 2019 for students engaged with the Hale Center and the BNRC.
Dr. Pickard, who earned his PhD at The Ohio State University in 1971, was known for his business success, civic leadership, and philanthropy. He was the founder, chairman, and CEO of Global Automotive Manufacturing, a Black Enterprise Top 100 industrial/service company that is recognized as the first minority-owned vendor group to supply parts to the top three U.S. automakers.
His legacy and impact will continue to influence ODI Scholars for generations to come, not only through his generous gifts to ODI but also through the contributions he made as a trailblazer, mentor, and visionary.