Bloomsburg Wrestling Hall-of-Famer William Garson ’63 and Wife Dana Make $50,000 Gift to Student Scholarships and Success

Bloomsburg Wrestling Hall-of-Famer William Garson ’63 and Wife Dana Make $50,000 Gift to Student Scholarships and Success

by Luke Wilson '24

The Bloomsburg University Foundation and Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg (CU-Bloomsburg) are welcoming a $50,000 gift from National Hall of Fame and Bloomsburg Athletic Hall-of-Fame Wrestler William Garson ’63 and his wife Dana.

Dana Garson, who passed away in May of 2024, was instrumental in the decision to give, and, knowing how important Bloomsburg was to her husband, encouraged Bill to make a major contribution. For over 40 years, the couple has consistently helped sustain the wrestling program and contributed to the development of Bloomsburg Wrestling students.

"We are incredibly grateful for Bill and Dana’s steadfast support and commitment to Bloomsburg students,” said Jerome Dvorak, Executive Director of the Bloomsburg University Foundation. “Alumni like Bill don’t just give back—they lead by example, creating meaningful opportunities for students and strengthening the sense of community that defines what it means to be a Husky.”

Bill Garson is special, not just because of his athletic achievements as a student, but how he was able to take what Bloomsburg gave him and turn it into an impressive career. From international business deals to a run at the 1964 Olympics, Garson maintained a solid relationship with his alma mater while aiming unimaginably high.

At a wrestling competition his senior year of high school, Garson ran into Russ Houk, his former seventh grade homeroom teacher who was now a coach for Muncy High School and moving into his first year coaching at Bloomsburg University.

Apart from a personal connection, both were very involved in the world of wrestling, so Houk convinced Garson to take the entrance test at BU where he would continue his climb.

“I probably would’ve never gone to college if it weren’t for wrestling -- It was a great decision, the program was really on the rise,” Garson stated, reflecting on his time as a student.

Shortly after arriving at Bloomsburg, Garson solidified himself as one of the greatest wrestlers to come through the program, winning the 191-lb PSAC championship as a sophomore and a junior, then the heavyweight championship as a senior, contributing to multiple national titles for the Huskies and helping to create the legacy Bloomsburg Wrestling has today.

“I’d like to see Bloomsburg Wrestling get back to where it was,” Garson stated.

Garson also worked on Interstate 80 during his time as a college student as a Blasting Foreman for the Lycoming Construction Company. This got him in touch with Hercules Incorporated, the company’s explosives provider, who offered him a marketing position out in Olympia, Washington.

At first he declined, as he had signed a teaching contract and wanted to make an attempt at the 1964 Olympics, but soon after, he took a leap of faith and moved to the West Coast.

“The thing I tell young people is don’t be afraid to take a risk,” Garson stated. “With risk comes reward.”

This risk would soon pay off, because within 5 years, Garson pitched a reorganization plan to his bosses, and soon found himself in charge of a distributorship spanning across Oregon, Northern Idaho, and Montana.

In 1983, William Garson was officially inducted into the Bloomsburg Athletic Hall of Fame, and in 1988, he and his wife Dana Garson donated $25,000 to endow a scholarship in Russ Houk’s name.

“When I was in school, there were no scholarships,” Garson stated humorously, and then continued, “Tuition was $65 a semester, and we protested at the president’s mansion when it was raised to $75.”

Since 1984, state funding for universities has declined by nearly 50%, making donor support crucial for the success of Bloomsburg students. The impact of gifts like Bill Garson’s cannot be overstated, not only due to the financial assistance it gives to those in need, but because it promotes a network of people that can inspire each other.

“Mentors are very important for you. People you respect, who will look after you. Without that, your chances are slim. I stayed involved because of what Coach Russ Houk and his wife Carol did for me,” Garson added.

As time progressed, so did Garson in his career, as Hercules’s explosive division was acquired by Dyno-Nobel in 1987, and Garson would find himself in the middle of another unexpected move. Instead of retiring just three years after the acquisition, Garson was sent to Australia for 5 years to help with a joint company venture, and would continue to work internationally until he retired.

“I dealt at a high level politically, I met with presidents and generals of countries,” Garson recalled, “I loved geography in school… Never in my life did I think I’d have a first-class ticket to anywhere in the world and have a legitimate reason to go.”

Bill Garson’s story is a look into the unpredictability a person can experience in their career, and how proving oneself can lead to a wealth of opportunities. This $50,000 gift puts William Garson’s total contributions well over $100,000, and it moves The Campaign for Bloomsburg: It Starts With Us a few steps closer to its $100M goal.

To learn more about The Campaign for Bloomsburg: It Starts With Us and how you can make a difference, visit https://giving.bloomu.edu/the-campaign-for-bloomsburg-it-starts-with-us.