Hall of Fame
William T Ripple ’67 – Class of 1987
Class…
When the 1966 spring track season began, Coach Dick May faced a schedule of three meets in four days with a willing, but inexperienced squad. He had one major asset: Bill Ripple. Bill was in a class by himself always willing to sacrifice personal record times to the team’s success.
Bill Ripple ran nine individual long-distance races in those four days. He won eight and finished second in one. The feat was to become known as the “Ripple Triple,” an athlete’s participation in the mile, half-mile and two-mile competition during one meet. He also competed in two mile-relay teams in those four days, winning both for Le Moyne.
Ripple’s selfless competitor’s feats are legendary: he was the only Le Moyne track star to achieve All-American status; he earned three straight victories in the mile run in both indoor and outdoor New York State Track and Field Championships; he collected a total of 10 State Conference championships, five second places and one third; he anchored the only Le Moyne sprint medley team win in the prestigious Penn Relays; he accomplished victories in six AAU State Championships and the national AAU Junior Mile and he remained undefeated in four years on the Le Moyne cross-country course.
When Bill graduated from Buffalo’s Bishop Duffy High School in 1963, he won the institution’s athlete-scholar award and received nine scholarship offers. Institutions such as Notre Dame, Maryland and Syracuse wanted him to wear their colors, but he chose the green and gold. His career on the Heights brought unequaled success in his sport, a measure of class that gave Le Moyne a period of greatness.
After earning his B.A. in Political Science, he attended Syracuse University’s Graduate School of Management and worked there as an assistant track coach. The draft called him to the U.S. Army, which recognized his talent and assigned him to Special Services-Sports. He competed throughout the world for the Army, State Department and the U.S.A National Team…coming within seconds of a four minute-mile on rough track.
In 1972 Bill began his career in an industry which demands both class and integrity investment securities. He has worked as a portfolio manager for bank investment consulting companies. He currently is responsible for over $1 billion worth of bond portfolios at Goldome Bank in Buffalo.
Bill and his wife, the former Patricia Ashton, have bestowed their special touch of class on daughters Denys and Stephanie. Coach May has not lost track of his star and calls him a “wonderful family man.”
Says May, “Bill Ripple represents all the fine qualities we seek for membership in the Hall of Fame. Our college is fortunate William Ripple passed our way…”
That good fortune, and the class he brought to Le Moyne’s athletic program, make it our honor to induct William T. Ripple to the Le Moyne College Athletic Hall of Fame.
April 25, 1987
