University News
Bill Derry when he was a teacher at Milford Grade School. He passed away in 1984.
The Derry Family stand together at a recent golf outing in memory of Bill. The family has established a scholarship which is fully endowed at WIU starting this year.
New Scholarship Provides Aid to Art Majors
April 11, 2025
MACOMB, IL鈥� The life of a Macomb local is being honored through a new scholarship for freshman art majors at 玩偶姐姐.
Andrew, Anthony and Jacob Derry have established the William E. Derry Art Scholarship to honor their father, Bill Derry, who passed away in October 1984. This scholarship is fully endowed and the first two scholarships will be awarded this year.
Bill Derry was born and raised in Macomb, graduating from WIU with an art education degree in 1972. As a child, he loved baseball and art and carried those passions throughout his life.
After graduation, Bill was hired as the art teacher for Milford Township High School, grades 9鈥�12. Shortly after, he began teaching at Milford Grade School, grades 6鈥�8 in the afternoons.
Bill was truly an inspiration to the Milford School District. His passion and skill with pottery convinced the high school's board of education to purchase a kiln for the art department. He would take students to the Danville Area Community College and Kankakee Community College art shows, where they performed exceptionally. Milford High School's halls were covered with the athletes' murals, all painted by art students under Bill's guidance. Bill also coached the Milford junior high baseball team for a few years before he was diagnosed with brain cancer in 1982.
His final art piece at Milford was a painting of a bearcat, the school's mascot, behind the scoreboard in the gymnasium. At the new Milford High School, Bill's legacy is carried on digitally via photographs from the old high school.
In October 2014, on the thirtieth anniversary of Bill's passing, the Derry family started a nonprofit, The William E. Derry Foundation for Arts in Education, with the goal of one day raising enough money to endow a scholarship at WIU. Every year since, they have hosted an annual golf outing and have dispersed multiple scholarships to high school seniors and college students interested in obtaining an art degree.
After ten years, they have finally achieved their goal.
Andrew Derry spoke on behalf of the family on the significance of this scholarship for his father's legacy.
"Our family could not be more proud to have Bill Derry's legacy continue to have a positive impact on students, especially those attending his alma mater," he said. "We look forward to learning about the scholarship recipients for years to come with the comfort of knowing his name will forever be tied to the university."
Andrew also extended his gratitude to those involved in the process of creating a perpetual scholarship.
"We thank all of those who have supported us over the past 10 years, as we move the scholarship selection process from The William E. Derry Foundation for Arts in Education to the WIU Foundation," he said.
The appreciation is mutual. Kat Myers, chairperson for the Department of Art and Design, thanked the Derry family for their contributions to WIU.
"We are deeply grateful to the Derry family for their generosity and support of WIU's Department of Art and Design and in particular our incoming freshmen students," Myers said. "We are always excited to share new scholarship opportunities with prospective students."
This scholarship will provide support for incoming freshman art majors. Individuals interested in providing financial support for programs within the College of Fine Arts and Communication can contact Director of Development Patrick Downing at pg-downing@wiu.edu.
Posted By: Taylor Holan (td-holan@wiu.edu)
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