Bill Vernon Inducted Into Alma Mater Lake Forest Academy’s Hall Of Fame

Lake Forest Academy, a college preparatory boarding school in Lake Forest, Illinois, has named Bill Vernon, CAS, chairman of Newton, Iowa-based The Vernon Company (UPIC: Vernon) to its Hall of Fame. Vernon was presented the award in recognition of his lifetime of community service.

Vernon graduated from Lake Forest Academy in 1950, before going on to Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, and the University of Iowa, as well as a summer session at Harvard University. His four children—Rick, Chris, Cameron and Stephanie—also graduated from the academy.

Vernon’s accomplishments include the founding of the Iowa Games, for which he was recently honored by Iowa Governor Terry Brandstad at the annual sports weekend’s 25th anniversary kick off ceremony in Ames, Iowa. He is also the past chairman of PPAI, the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, Des Moines Civic Center and the University of Iowa I-Club. Vernon was also an international officer of the Young Presidents Organization.

Within the state of Iowa, Vernon has been active on assignments for Governors Robert Ray and Branstad. He served as the civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army for the state of Iowa during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and he was active in the Republican Party of Iowa acting as finance chair during the 1990s. Other involvements include the United States Olympic Committee, where he served as a fundraiser for a number of years and was on its Olympic State Games Advisory Committee, and a 29-year term as director of Wells Fargo of Iowa. In Newton, Vernon is one of the founders of Progress Industries and has led many other local organizations.