Bill Hennessee Radio Broadcasting Scholarship

Fayetteville State University Hall of Famer William Andrew "Big Bad Bill" Hennessee, Jr. was a pioneer in Black Radio in NC. Upon entering a radio station in Jacksonville, NC in the 1950's to apply for a job, Bill was informed by the manager, "Boy we don't have any janitorial jobs available." Bill promptly replied "I don't want to be a janitor, I want to be a radio announcer." Bill not only had the distinction of being the first Black Eagle Scout in Jacksonville, NC, but he soon became the first Black radio announcer in southeastern North Carolina. Bill continued his career in radio moving to WSRC in Durham in 1960. By the mid-sixties, he arrived to open WIDU, the first black operated radio station for the black community in Fayetteville, NC. That first morning at 5:00 a.m., he was met with a cross burning in front of the station but he signed on the air anyway. He continued his work at WIDU until it was one of the top radio stations in Southeastern North Carolina. Bill retired from radio at WKML in Fayetteville marking an almost 50-year career in radio broadcasting. Bill was honored by FSU when he was inducted into their Hall of Fame as the Voice of the Broncos after almost 30 years of play-by-play broadcasting of FSU football. During this career he also was a renown show promoter for R&B acts, a national sports announcer for the Sheridan Broadcasting, active in civil rights, politics and served as a mentor to many radio and television broadcasters. In addition to his career, Bill always maintained a commitment to giving back to the community through community service and humanitarian work. After his death in 2009, a memorial scholarship was established to honor his memory and his life's work. The Bill Hennessee Radio Broadcasting Scholarship is awarded to an FSU Broadcasting/Communication student whose passion for community service is as central to their life's work as it was to Bill Hennessee.