Bill Ismay, the charter Dean of Boys at Sahuaro High, was born in Phoenix, Arizona on September 19, 1936. He graduated from Phoenix Union High School in 1954 and joined the United States Navy in September of the same year. In September of 1957 Bill was discharged from the Navy and subsequently entered the University of Arizona on a football scholarship. He graduated in the spring of 1961 with a Bachelor of Science degree after earning three varsity letters in football and four in wrestling. During his undergraduate days, Bill served as the Student Body Vice President and earned the Jim Ewing Award (for leadership in football) and the Merrill Freeman Award (outstanding senior student based on leadership and scholarship.) In the spring of 1962, Bill earned a Masters of Education while serving as the university’s wrestling coach and teaching as a graduate assistant.
Bill began his career in education teaching Social Studies at Palo Verde High School in the fall of 1962. He was also the wrestling coach and officiated football and baseball for the Arizona Interscholastic Association. When Sahuaro High School opened in the fall of 1968 he was selected to be the Dean of Boys and served in that position for ten years. He also served as the director of the summer school program during that time. After working at Tucson High School as the Assistant Principal for Operation and Activities for two years, Bill was appointed Principal at Palo Verde High School and served in that position until the fall of 1989 when he retired from the Tucson Unified School District. During his career, Bill was a member of a number of professional associations and participated in a wide variety of leadership, staff development, motivational and professional development programs.
Since retiring from the school district, Bill has worked at several positions in the private business sector and has held a number of interim administrative posts in the Tucson schools. He currently works as a supervisor of student teachers for the College of Education at the University of Arizona. He also volunteers in the schools and at the University and is active in several
University alumni organizations.