William L. Melton was born in Columbia, SC, the son of William H. Melton Jr. and Anne Gunter Melton. Distinguishing himself academically and athletically at Dreher High School, Bill graduated in 1953, having secured a congressional appointment to the United States Military Academy from Congressman John Riley of South Carolina's 2d District. In those days, for purposes of parade appearance, cadets were assigned to a company according to height. Bill began his H-2 career shoulder-to-shoulder with his company mates, but by graduation he stood a good two inches above the rest of the group.

Beyond this physical disparity, Bill had other, personal, attributes that drew the admiring attention of others and made him stand out from his peers. Easygoing and warm, vet conscientious and studious, he ironically referred to himself as "just plain Bill."

"Humble" is a descriptive adjective that well suits him. Full of energy and possessing a love of life (especially life in the South), Bill was known for his wonderful sense of humor and his gentlemanly manner. All who knew him agree that a better, more loyal friend could not be found.

At West Point, Bill was a member of the A Squad Tennis and Squash teams and graduated in the upper percentile of his class (in spite of his roommates' persistent attempts to distract him at every opportunity).

A roommate for two years and friend for life, Bill was one of the most congenial individuals I have known. Although he may have always seemed unimpressed with his intelligence and capabilities, the rest of us were not. He could always be depended upon to help with an assignment, sacrifice personal time when we were under pressure to meet military requirements, and, most memorably, to lighten the load with a joke when things were not going well. For all this and more, Bill was the epitome of what it truly means to be a West Point classmate.

Upon graduation, Bill's preference was to join the Air Force as a pilot. This desire went unfulfilled, however, when he did not meet their vision requirements. To the Field Artillery's good fortune, Bill went on to serve with the 82d Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, and thus returned to the part of the country he had always loved best. After a tour in Korea, Bill resigned and joined the North Carolina National Guard, where he attained the rank of captain. His next challenge to be met with success was a career with IBM, where he remained for the next 24 years.

At IBM, Bill was manager of the office in Hickory, NC, that, in the ensuing years, became the most rapidly expanding IBM territory in that state-need we wonder why? The leadership qualities Bill displayed within his company were as respected and admired by his employees as they had been by his classmates at the Academy.

In 1975, he was selected "Boss of the Year" by the local Chamber of Commerce for his congenial leadership style that produced outstanding results and maintained strong employee relations.

Jim Benton, an associate at IBM, recalls fondly, "Bill was a tremendous competitor, both in business and in sports. That's why he was a winner. But in all cases, he always played the game fairly His untimely death was probably the greatest loss I have experienced."

Bill's noteworthy contributions are evident outside of his work as well and, here too, his leadership and energy did not go unnoticed. He was elected to a 3-year term as Director of the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce, where he was cited for his efforts in the Junior Achievement area. In 1976, he was named Pacesetter Chairman for the Greater Hickory United Fund Campaign. He was an active member of the Rotary Club and of the First Presbyterian Church.

According to Bill Pitts, a fellow community leader, "Bill Melton was the ‘best friend’ of so many people in this city that he will always be remembered as long as we all live. Bill had an enormous amount of energy, and he simply volunteered for every worthy program in our community. While I was chairman of the Hickory Board of Education, Bill offered invaluable advice on how to get the business community more involved in the schools. Through his effort, the business alliance was formed and, later, won state awards for the results made by the school's achievements. It took a special person like Bill Melton to gain the trust and cooperation of all the many egos involved. That was Bill's gift to us all."

The William L. Melton Endowment Fund was established at Lenoir-Rhyne College in memory of Bill, through the gifts of friends, IBM employees, and IBM. The income generated by the fund will provide scholarship assistance to deserving students majoring in computer science, business, or international business.

Above all, however, Bill will be remembered as a devoted and loving husband and father. He and Kay, his wife of 23 years, raised a family of sons Dean and Stuart and daughter Karen.

At his funeral service, Bill was fitly honored: "We can affirm that there has been great value in the life of Bill Melton: value that is not made any less because of his untimely death. This value is found in what he has shown us and given to us; in what we have learned from his life about integrity, intelligence, friendship, decency, caring, humor, responsibility-and especially about that capacity for giving and receiving love from family and friends."

Well done, Bill. Be thou at peace!