William Groening

Mr. William A. Groening, Jr. was the first chairman of the Board of Control when SVSU was chartered as a private college back in 1963. He was re-elected when Saginaw Valley College became a state college in 1965. Mr. Groening served as Vice President and General Counsel for The Dow Chemical Company until his retirement in 1977. Groening Commons on the SVSU Campus is named for Mr. Groening. Mr. Groening’s wife, Virginia, was a long-time resident of Midland. Virginia was active in her community and was a strong supporter of her husband. She was devoted to her family, which included five children. Her daughters, Phyllis and Janet, and her son Ted and his wife, Kathryn, also continue to support the scholarship in their mother’s memory.

Mr. Groening established this scholarship in 1990 to honor the memory of his wife and assist students at SVSU. Mr. Groening resides in Florida and still actively supports SVSU and remains in touch with his friends on campus.