William R. Young, Jr.
William R. Young, Jr., was a 1952 Graduate of Andrew Lewis High School where the Senior Mirror appropriately named him “Best Leader.” His list of scholastic activities included: The Latin Club, Praetor, Quaestor, Student Council, Monogram Club, Annual Staff Advertising Manager, Forensic Club, representative to Boy’s State, and Class president in his Sophomore, Junior, and Senior years. A fine athlete, for three years he played both offense and defense on the varsity football team and ran track.
Attending the University of Virginia, Bill received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History in 1956. While there he was treasurer of the University Student Council, president of the SAE Fraternity and president of the University Interreligious Council. Lettering in both football and boxing, he won the State Golden Gloves Welterweight Championship in 1955. A member of the University’s ROTC unit, Bill was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in1956 and served the next two years in Germany.
Following military service, he entered the Union Theological Seminary, in Richmond, receiving a Bachelor of Divinity degree in1961 and was president of the Senior Class. Over a decade would pass before returning to the Seminary to receive a Doctor of Ministry degree in 1973.
Bill’s first pastorates were at the Floyd and Harris Cannady Presbyterian Churches, Dillon’s and Harvestwood Chapels in Floyd County from 1961 to 1965. Next, he was pastor of the Fairlawn Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Kentucky, where he remained until retirement in 1995. During his years of Christian service, Bill was also Moderator of the Montgomery Presbytery in 1969 and the Transylvania Presbytery in 1986.
Where ever he served, his participation in community activities and leadership ability were nothing short of amazing. While at Floyd, Bill organized a Community Park Program that started with building a playground. In Pulaski County, he served as president of the New River Valley Association for Retarded Children, coached Little League football and baseball and organized the Fairlawn Recreation Association that initially built a tennis court. During his years in Richmond, he was on the Board of the Telford YMCA and was president from 1976-1988. He also chaired the Building Committee and successfully led efforts to raise funds for a major expansion program - receiving the YMCA of the USA/Southfield Distinguished Leadership Award in 1994. A member of the Rotary Club, he was president in 1980 and named a Paul Harris Fellow in 1981. He also served on the Board of the Bellewood Children’s Home, the City of Richmond Human Rights Commission, United Way (served as Campaign and Board Chairman), Reward, Inc. (community organization for drug awareness/prevention - was the organizer and served as president 1986-1995), and founding Board member of both the Salvation Army and the Hospice of Madison County. Little wonder the that he was named Citizen of the Year by the Richmond Chamber of Commerce in 1987.
In 1991, with seed money willed to his church, Bill successfully led efforts to organize St. Andrews Retirement Community, Inc., which purchased land and built a community of 41 condos and an assisted living building with 73 apartments. He continues to serve as Board Chairman of this development. Bill and his wife, Judy, reside in Richmond and their children are son, Stephen, and daughter, Betsy Y. Drew.
In recognition of his outstanding career achievements, the Reverend William R. Young, Jr., was among those inducted in 1998 into the Salem Alumni Hall of Fame established by the Salem Educational Foundation and Alumni Association.
