Born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania, Dr. Bill Condon’s athletic ties were evident early. He played baseball and football in high school, and was named 2nd-Team All-City and All-County in football. He went on to Lock Haven College in Pennsylvania, were he played football as a freshman. His athletic career ended due to a knee injury, but a distinguished career in college administration was just beginning.

After graduating from Lock Haven, Bill went to graduate school at Penn State. While pursuing his graduate studies, he obtained a job as a residence hall director. In 1951, he entered the Navy and was assigned to Maryland, where he worked on a recruit-training program. The President of Adelphi University, Paul Eddy, served on a committee that was overseeing the program. After leaving the program, Bill married his wife, Cathy, and was hired in 1953 as the Assistant Dean of Men at Adelphi. He was promoted to Dean of Men, and in 1956, he took over as Dean of Students at Adelphi. He handled all student activities, academic affairs, admissions and counseling. In addition, he oversaw the building of five dorms for about 1,600 students. By the time he left in 1965, there were more than 7,000 students attending Adelphi.

In 1965, Bill was hired as the Dean of Students at Adelphi-Suffolk, which later became Dowling College. In his position, he oversaw the athletic department, which at that time was rather limited. With Bill’s guidance, teams were added to the program, funding was increased and people such as Frank Layden, Dick Berg and Jerry Curtin – all 2000 Hall of Fame Inductees – were brought on board. He utilized undergraduate students as coaches for club teams, all the while helping to develop student involvement and professional growth. Dowling’s lack of athletic facilities did not stop Bill from helping the program move forward. He negotiated contracts with LaSalle, East Islip schools and St. John the Baptist. His foresight and commitment also enabled the school to add women’s sports teams. Bill, who became vice president for student affairs at Dowling, was a believer in fostering team spirit, cooperation and friendships, as well as making people aware of the values of competition and fairness.

Said longtime Dowling professor and former basketball coach Bob Kopelman: “In many ways, Bill Condon was the architect of the athletic program at Dowling. He was responsible for starting the program, funding it and fighting for the program. He was always very supportive of the athletes and the coaches.”

Bill retired in 1991 after 39 years of service as a college administrator on Long Island.

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