Presenting 2025 Hotelie Hall of Fame Story - Bill Minnock ’79
An excerpt from Bill's story...
Bill grew up in Albany, New York, one of four boys in a lively household. His father, Bill, Cornell Engineering ’44, joined the Navy and fought in the Pacific during World War II. After the war, he joined the family business, Powell and Minnock Brick Works. His mother, Catherine, earned a bachelor’s degree from Manhattanville College and a master’s degree in education from the College of Saint Rose. She worked as a teacher in Albany and then moved on to the New York State Department of Education.
Growing up, Bill focused on three priorities – sports, work, and school. Despite his love for playing and watching all sports during high school, he focused his efforts on tennis and was captain of the undefeated tennis team in his senior year. Work was simply part of life. From mowing lawns and shoveling driveways to delivering newspapers before dawn, Bill learned early that responsibility came before reward. For much of his formative years, school was a lower priority than sports and work, but during high school, he began to focus more on his studies.
The Minnock family carried a deep connection to Cornell. Fall Saturdays often meant trips to Schoellkopf Field for Big Red football games, where young Bill soaked in the atmosphere and pride of the university.