Col. William R. Finnicum: teacher, leader, veteran

Finnicum enjoys traveling with his wife, Sarah, to the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, after 27-years in the military.

Even though he was an ROTC student in college, Col. William R. Finnicum, (Ret.), graduated from Ohio University intent on pursuing a career as an educator, hopefully within a school system. He achieved the goal of being an educator, but instead of teaching and leading in the classroom, he did it for 27 years on the training fields of the U.S. Army.

Finnicum, BA ’70, learned early on that his skill set was in Army logistics. Early in his career, he was responsible for commanding logistics units and soldiers based in Germany.

“I had a wonderful opportunity to lead and teach soldiers as well as travel,” he said. “This was my area of expertise. None of the operations in the Army will happen without logistics support,” he said.

In honor of the institution that transformed him into a teacher and an armed forces veteran, Finnicum established the Colonel William R. Finnicum Army ROTC Logistics Endowment as a bequest to OHIO.

“OHIO and the ROTC program were the foundation of my career. That is why I decided to leave my will bequest to OHIO,” Finnicum said.

The endowment will cover travel, lodging, transportation and other costs that will allow senior Army ROTC cadets to complete their capstone event at the legendary battlefields of Gettysburg National Military Park.

Traveling with his wife, Sarah, is his reward for a lifetime of service. Having traversed more 20 countries together, he credits his wanderlust to his time in the service, a place where he found his passion—something he hopes current and future OHIO Army ROTC students will find as they embark on their careers.

“For students in the ROTC program, they have to like what they’re doing,” Finnicum said. “You never want to spend a lifetime doing something that you aren’t passionate about.”