2018 Alumni Merit Award Recipient
William D. Young
(BBA ’78)
William D. Young Jr. (Bill) is a partner with the Atlanta-based General Wholesale Company, a family-owned beverage distributor. Founded in 1942, GWC is one of the largest private businesses in Atlanta.
Bill received his bachelor’s degree in management from UGA’s Terry College of Business in 1978. He is a past chairman and current trustee of the UGA Foundation, where his leadership was instrumental in the purchase of Delta Hall in Washington D.C. He recently established a Georgia Commitment Scholarship to support need-based financial aid for UGA students. He is also a past member of the UGA Real Estate Foundation, past chairman of the Building Terry campaign and an emeritus member of the Terry Dean’s Advisory Council.
He is a past member of the University of Georgia Athletic Development Council, a past member of the Leadership Advisory Board within student affairs and a current member of the UGA Athletic Board.
In 2009, in recognition of their loyalty and service to the University of Georgia, the Young family — including the late William D. Young Sr. (BBA ’54), Bill Jr., and his younger brother Howard (BBA ’82) — was named Family of the Year by the UGA Alumni Association. Bill also received the 2016 Terry Distinguished Alumni Award.
He graduated from the Marist School in 1975 and is now a trustee at the private college preparatory school, which holds the distinction of being the oldest Catholic secondary school in Atlanta.
Bill’s professional affiliations include Invest Georgia Board (chairman); Governor’s Advisory Board for the 1996 Olympics (board member); State of Georgia Personnel Oversight Committee (committee member); Wine and Spirit Wholesalers of Georgia (past chairman and president); and Council of Executive Development for the Wine and Spirit Wholesalers of America (past chairman).
Bill is a member of the Blue Key Service Award from the Georgia Chapter of the National Honor Society. He is also a past member of the Young Presidents Organization.
An avid golfer and sportsman, Bill is a past president and board member of the Peachtree Golf Club. He also holds memberships at the Capital City Club and the Cherokee Town and Country Club. He is a member of the Nine O’Clocks and the Round Table.
Bill and his wife Margaret, who is also a UGA graduate, are the proud parents of two sons, William (BBA ’15) and Brandon (BBA ’17), who are also Terry graduates.
“What has inspired me to give back to UGA in the ways that we’ve been able to is the fact that we feel like we owe the university so much because of all the great things it’s done for us.”