Honoring William J. “Bill” Inman’s nearly two decades of leadership and philanthropy that advanced Elon’s growth and national reputation.
After nearly two decades of dedicated service, Elon parent William J. “Bill” Inman p’00 has stepped down from the university’s Board of Trustees, leaving a legacy of thoughtful leadership and transformational philanthropy that has fueled Elon’s national reputation for engaged teaching and learning.
Inman, of Naples, Florida, was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2005 and served with distinction on the board’s finance and administration committees, providing strong and steady leadership during a period of historic growth at Elon.
President Connie Ledoux Book thanked Inman and his wife, Patricia Inman, for their devotion to Elon. The couple’s daughter, Jackie Inman Burns, graduated from Elon in 2000.
“The Elon community is indebted to Bill Inman for his steadfast service on the Board of Trustees, which has advanced Elon as a national leader in teaching and innovation,” Book said. “We are a stronger university because of champions like Bill and Pat Inman, whose generosity has had a profound impact on generations of Elon students.”
“We are a stronger university because of champions like Bill and Pat Inman, whose generosity has had a profound impact on generations of Elon students.” — President Connie Book
“I want to thank (former) President Leo Lambert for inviting me to be on the board and President Connie Book for not only continuing a legacy of excellence but for the great job she is doing managing Elon during a time of turmoil in higher education,” Inman said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the tremendous growth of Elon University over the past 20 years.”
Bill and Pat Inman are among the university’s most generous donors, making gifts to Rhodes Stadium, Alumni Field House, Ernest A. Koury Sr. Business Center and the Numen Lumen Pavilion, home of the university’s multifaith center. The Inman Reading Room was named in honor of their gift to Lindner Hall in the Lambert Academic Village, which serves as the administrative home of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences. Elon’s campus visit experience took a major leap forward in 2013 following the Inmans’ $1.5 million gift to name the Inman Admissions Welcome Center, which greets thousands of prospective students and their families each year and provides a welcoming environment to begin their Elon experience.
Equally passionate about increasing access to Elon, Bill and Pat funded 10 endowed scholarships in the Odyssey Program in 2017, helping to make an Elon education possible for promising students with significant financial need, including first-generation college students. In 2019 the couple received the Elon Medallion, the university’s highest service award.
Bill Inman served as president of NVR Mortgage Finance from 1989 until his retirement in 2010. During his time there, the Reston, Virginia-based NVR Inc., was among the most successful homebuilding companies in northern Virginia. Inman also served on the board of The Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae).