ADAPTED FROM PAYING IT FORWARD: THE HUFF FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP FUND

By Alison Parkins

When you ask Bill Huff what motivated him to give back to UW-Platteville, he likes to answer the question with a story. “As a veteran discharged in 1955, I was aware that education was a license for a better life,” Huff said.

He enrolled in the Wisconsin State College and Institute of Technology, a school students would still be able to recognize today through annual traditions like the lighting of the M. “My freshman year was very easy for me, so I was offered a job at Deere's in Dubuque, Iowa. It was my intent to work full time and carry 21 units in my second year,” Huff said.

But Huff’s ambitious plan backfired. “I was failing miserably after three weeks, so Professor Spradling told me to quit work and stay in school. Thank God for that advice,” he said.

Huff’s graduation with a degree in mining engineering set him on a pathway to success. After working for a time as an engineer for Kaiser Steel Corporation and North American Rockwell, he launched the successful real estate investment company Huff Properties in 1962, investing in both commercial and residential properties across three counties in California.

Within Huff’s philanthropic endeavors, one organization remains particularly close to his heart: UW-Platteville.

In 2019, the Huff family sponsored the Huff Family Innovation Center.

Word From Students

“The Huff Family Innovation Center means getting to the chance to bring my ideas life no matter my background. Being a biology major, I never thought I would have the chance to work in an area like this, but The Huff Family Innovation Center gives me the opportunity to feel welcome in an unfamiliar area.”

-Jamie Matthews, '23, Biology

“The Huff Family Innovation Center gives students like me, who have never touched many of the tools and machines that the center has to offer, an opportunity to learn from experienced professional staff and student assistants. It's given me the tools and opportunities to make my ideas come to life.”

-Andrew Jeanetta, '24, Biology