Hall of Fame
William P. Jenkins ’53 – Class of 1984
Using Talent…
When Bill Jenkins graduated from St. Vincent’s High School in Syracuse he was already a great basketball player. In terms of native, natural talent, there is no doubt that this man could have played for any college in the country. His 6’1” frame encompassed as much physical ability as any ever to wear a Dolphin uniform.
Physical ability alone, however, is but one element needed to make a true star. As Tom Niland prepared for the final season of his “pioneer” team in 1950-51 he needed a star for two reasons. First, one more outstanding player would consolidate his squad and make the difference between a good season and a great one. Second, he needed a man who could bridge the gap when the core of the pioneer team graduated at the end of their four years together.
Bill Jenkins proved to be the kind of true star who could meet both those needs. As a sophomore he won a starting berth in the backcourt and contributed 362 points to the team which won national ranking and firmly established Le Moyne College as a force to be reckoned with in basketball. In his three years of varsity competition he scored 1,063 points. Such prolific scoring is a modest indicator of his importance to Le Moyne Basketball.
Bill Jenkins had the talent. His character made him a star.
With the same blend of skill and desire, he has pursued his professional career. Upon graduation he indulged in his first love, basketball, as a coach and teacher at Saranac Lake High School. But his business management studies at Le Moyne had awakened another talent and Bill Jenkins is not a man to look lightly on the capabilities God has given him.
His goal was to build a secure future for his wife Elizabeth and son William R Jenkins. Business acumen was the talent he used to reach the goal.
Honesty and integrity are the keys to a successful sales career. Bill had them in prodigious quantities. Thus, it was logical he would gravitate in this direction. In a series of marketing positions he developed a particular expertise in ceramic tile. Today, he operates a large wholesale and retail ceramic tile dealership.
No man to tout himself, he calls his Albany Tile Company “a small operation.” He is more likely to speak of the talents of the young people he worked with as a C.Y.O. basketball coach than his own. He is quick to extol the volunteer service of others without mentioning his own work at his parish church.
William P. Jenkins reminds us that talent, a precious commodity, must never be wasted. That lesson is ample reason for his induction to the
Le Moyne College Athletic Hall of Fame
May 5, 1984
