Vickers family creates scholarship endowment
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK)-A local family has created a scholarship endowment at the ISU College of Business.
Bill Vickers established Vicker’s Western Store on Yellowstone Avenue in Pocatello in 1976 and on North Holmes Avenue in Idaho Falls in 2001. He died in 2013.
The “Billy D. Vickers Memorial Endowment” was created by Bill’s son Greg Vickers as a way to give back to the community. Bill Vickers graduated from the College of Business with a BA in marketing and an MBA.
Scholarships awarded from the endowment will benefit junior- and senior-level marketing or Master of Business Administration (MBA) students. Students applying for the scholarship must be from southeast Idaho and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher, preference will also be given to students who are members of the ISU Rodeo Team or to students that have participated in rodeo at some point previously.
According to ISU, throughout his life, Bill had a number of careers. He drove semi-trucks for his father as a young man in high school and in his early college years. After graduating, he returned to his hometown, Twin Falls, Idaho, where he served as a police officer for the Twin Falls Police Department, eventually working his way up to detective. Bill returned to Idaho State later, to earn his MBA. After graduating, he accepted a position in human resources with the FMC Corporation, a local phosphorus production facility.
Instead of taking a promotion to Philadelphia, Vickers decided instead to enter the retail business
As a hobby, Vickers was involved in rodeo as a competitor, announcer, sponsor, and promoter. He was, in fact, all-round champion at the Idaho State High School Rodeo Finals in his senior year of high school.
“The ISU College of Business is very thankful for the Billy D. Vickers Memorial Scholarship Endowment that will benefit our students for generations to come. We are proud and thankful for the Vickers family for their support and the positive impact they’ve had on the Idaho State University College of Business and our community,” said Shane Hunt, College of Business dean.
