University of Nevada Athletics

Football, Donor (1942-46)
William Parish was inducted into the Nevada Athletics Hall of Fame for his work on behalf of the Nevada Alumni Association and the Wolf Club, serving as president of both organizations. A graduate of Reno High School, Parish was a letterman on the 1942 Wolf Pack football team that went 5-3-1 under head coach Jim Aiken and liked to joke that his bent nose was a result of being run over by Nevada and NFL Hall of Famer Marion Motley in practice. He entered the Navy in 1943 and served on a destroyer in the South Pacific for over two years. After returning to Reno, he entered the insurance and real estate business, owning his own firm with offices throughout the state, and continued working in that industry well into his 80s. He also served as president of the Nevada Independent insurance Association and received numerous professional awards.

Parish distinguished himself as a wholehearted Nevada supporter. His father, Howard, was one of the athletic department’s original boosters, and Parish took over for him in 1946, serving as president and secretary of the Boosters' Club for over 40 years. He then became a member emeritus of the Board of Directors. He also served as president of the Alumni Association in 1956 and received the Outstanding Alumnus Award in 1961. Parish was voted the 1964 Sportsman of the Year by the Sierra Nevada Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. In addition to his support of Wolf Pack Athletics, he was also active in Little League, the Reno Falcons Ski Team and the Reno Jaycees. Parish passed away in Reno in 2011.