RIT remembers Trustee Chair Emeritus William Buckingham
William (Bill) Buckingham, chair emeritus of RIT’s Board of Trustees and a 1964 graduate of the business administration program in the Saunders College of Business, died May 17. He was 82 years old. The RIT flag will be lowered to half-staff in his memory on Friday, May 23.
Buckingham had been a part of the RIT family since the early 1960s. He was a longtime advocate for the university’s mission and its students, including serving as a member of the National Alumni Council, the precursor to RIT’s Alumni Association. Honored as the Distinguished Alumnus for the Saunders College of Business in 1976, he was also named to the business college’s Wall of Fame in 2008 in honor of his community involvement, professional successes, and sustained support to the vitality of RIT. He was RIT’s Outstanding Alumnus, the highest level of recognition for a graduate, in 1983.
Buckingham led countless campaigns and committees at RIT. He served on three Presidential Search Committees, the RIT Research Corporation Board, the Board of Venture Creations, and was honorary chair of RIT’s 50th anniversary committee in 2018. In fundraising, he was a Regional Division Chair for the Mathematics, Science & Technology Campaign, which led initiatives aimed at improving STEM education and fostering innovation. He also served as alumni chair of the university’s Access to the Future campaign, an $85 million capital campaign, and was chair of the RIT Fund and the university’s Powered by the Future campaign, which concluded in 2006 and raised $309 million in gifts and commitments. A major initiative resulting from the campaign was the construction of the Gordon Field House and Activities Center.
A member of the former Nathaniel Rochester Society, Buckingham received the prestigious NRS Award, along with his late wife, Anne Sevier-Buckingham, in 2009, and they were members of RIT’s Ellingson Society. His philanthropy supported a wide range of initiatives across RIT, including the Buckingham American College Scholarship, the Buckingham Family Endowed Scholarship, the Science Lab Facility, the M.R. Rose NRS Scholarship, the RIT Trustee Fund, and the Schmitt Interfaith Chapel. His gift to the Joseph M. Lobozzo Alumni House led to the naming of the Buckingham Lounge, serving as a permanent and physical embodiment of his decades of service to RIT.
“RIT has lost a steadfast supporter with the passing of Bill Buckingham,” said Lisa (Cauda) Chase, vice president and secretary of the university. “He cared deeply about his alma mater and it showed in his compassionate leadership, extraordinary time commitment, and considerable philanthropy. He was kind, smart, and generous, and his selfless work on behalf of students, faculty, and staff will be felt for years to come.”
Buckingham entered the banking industry in the 1960s. Before he turned 30, he was a bank president. He later served as president and CEO of Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co., and joined M&T Bank in 1990, serving as its point man in Rochester and steering the company’s expansion. While he retired in 1996 as an executive vice president at First Empire State Corp., the parent company of M&T Bank, he continued supporting the banking industry as a consultant for decades more.
Buckingham served on the boards of many community organizations including the Diocese of Rochester/St. Bernard's, Genesee Country Village & Museum, Otetiana Council/Scouts of America, Consumer Bankers Association, and Genesee Corporation.
He is survived by his wife, Sara, and his three children, Milissa (Scott) Pfuntner, Jill (Rob) Myers, and Scott Buckingham; and his grandchildren, Ben and Tess Myers. He is predeceased by his wife, Anne.
A private service will be held to honor his life. His obituary is available on the Anthony Funeral & Cremation website.