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Bill Gatton receives Margin of Excellence Award

Friday, February 09, 2007

JOHNSON CITY – The ETSU Foundation and East Tennessee State University recognized C.M. “Bill” Gatton as an outstanding businessman and champion of higher education with the prestigious Margin of Excellence Award during the Distinguished President’s Trust annual dinner for the university’s top contributors held at MeadowView Conference Resort and Convention Center.

The Margin of Excellence Award was established to acknowledge individuals who go above and beyond the call of duty in supporting ETSU and the Foundation, and Gatton epitomizes this sentiment. He is a true visionary, approaching life with concern for all people, and always striving to do more.

A native of Kentucky, Gatton possesses an entrepreneurial spirit and an eye for successful business ventures that began when he was only 8 – selling his acre of watermelons on the side of the road. He progressed up the ladder from there.

After graduating as valedictorian of his high school class, he enrolled at the University of Kentucky (UK) to study business administration and economics, working part-time in automobile sales where his perseverance quickly resulted in success. And, following a stint as an officer in the United States Army, Gatton pursued an M.B.A. in finance and banking at the Wharton Graduate School, University of Pennsylvania.

From there, Gatton renewed his interest in automobile dealerships and in the banking industry, broadening his business investments along the way. Today, in addition to Tennessee, his business endeavors span several states, including Alabama, Kentucky and Texas.

He is a recognized philanthropist in higher education, borne out by the UK Carol Martin Gatton College of Business and Economics that bears his name, and he says, “I truly believe education expands one’s vision and self-confidence.”

For ETSU, he has generously supported many academic and athletic opportunities over the years, most recently helping fund the new College of Pharmacy which just admitted its first class of 72 students in January.

“Pharmacy is a great career opportunity for young people. Prospective students will be able to attend ETSU without going all the way to Memphis for their education. We have an aging population, and trained pharmacists are essential for the health care of our older citizens. Also, the new College of Pharmacy will be a great boost to the economy of this region,” Gatton said.

Gatton is also known for his numerous community and regional affiliations: the Bristol Chamber of Commerce, Bristol Rotary Club, Salvation Army, Humane Society, and Bristol Boys and Girls Clubs, among many others, and he has garnered a number of awards and honors. He has also served nationally and regionally in leadership roles for many automobile-related organizations.

Previous recipients of the Margin of Excellence Award include Wayne G. Basler, the late Claudius G. Clemmer, Janey Diehl, Louis H. Gump, M. Thomas Krieger, Dr. Richard A. Manahan, Scott M. Niswonger, Leslie Parks Pope, John H. Poteat, Dennis T. Powell, the late Congressman James H. Quillen, Donald R. Raber, ETSU President Dr. Paul E. Stanton Jr., and Stuart G. Wood Jr.

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