In Memoriam: Life Trustee Michael Bill ’58

The student-athletes who pass through the entry of the football locker room in the John A. Lally Athletics Complex will be carrying on the legacy of one of Syracuse University’s most ardent supporters: Michael M. “Mike” Bill ’58. As they come to know the story of the man after whom the locker room was named, they will appreciate how hard work and dedication to excellence on and off the field can lay the foundation for a lifetime of success.

Bill, who passed away on Aug. 11, 2025, at the age of 89, always credited the University for shaping his life’s achievements and positioning him to be able to give back to the alma mater he adored. “Syracuse really took care of me,” Bill said in a 2022 interview explaining the reasoning behind a $2 million dollar gift that he and his wife, Sharon, pledged to the Lally complex. “They gave me a scholarship and an education. They gave me the foundation for my success in business. Syracuse University is really part of my persona.”

Bill earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in 1958. Though the Orange linebacker and center (who played in the Cotton Bowl with the team in 1957) was offered an opportunity to join the Green Bay Packers, Bill pursued a career off the field. He built one of the nation’s top privately held insurance brokerage firms, MJ Insurance Inc., specializing in construction, energy, transportation, employee benefits and bonding.

He joined the Board of Trustees in 2001, serving as a voting trustee for more than a decade and chairing the Audit Committee from 2003 to 2006 and engaged with the Facilities and Athletic committees. Bill is credited with guiding the University to adopt a self-insurance model to enable more accurate and timely financial forecasting. As a life trustee, he participated on the board’s Facilities and Audit and Risk committees.

Part of his legacy is the unwavering support he provided to the athletics program, including the Sharon C. Bill and Michael M. Bill Endowed Football Scholarship Fund and the Head Football Coach Fund, among many other initiatives. Bill saw his philanthropy as a long-term investment in student-athletes and in the athletics program. He believed that the best facilities could attract the most talented student-athletes and that winning programs, especially football, attracted more donors.

“Mike was inspirational as a board member, an engaged alumnus and a major donor,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “He built strong relationships with colleagues and throughout campus. He genuinely cared about people and about our students’ aspirations and futures.”

Director of Athletics John Wildhack expressed both gratitude and praise for Bill’s vision and devotion. “Mike loved to tell stories about his playing days at Syracuse University, in particular practicing with and blocking for Jim Brown,” Wildhack says. “He often talked about the importance of intellectual and physical development of our student-athletes. He invested in them. There are countless athletes who are grateful for that.” Bill received a LetterWinner of Distinction Award in 2003 for football.

Bill’s own career success included building upon MJ Insurance, founding several subsidiary businesses. Omnibus Financial Corp. allowed customers to finance insurance premiums. Benefit Design and Administrators Inc. helped customers create self-insured health care plans. Omnibus Insurance Ltd. provided insurance products for the mining industry. As a board member of Assurex Global he helped more than 100 other large, independent, privately owned insurance agencies in the United States and around the globe, enabling them to compete with large national companies.

Bill is survived by his wife of nearly 53 years, Sharon; their children, Terri, Michael, Daniel and Betsy, as well as six grandchildren and a great-grandchild.