Middlebury College, a liberal college in Vermont, will be honoring South End resident William Henry Kieffer, III, with an honorary degree at its commencement ceremony on May 25. Kieffer matriculated at Middlebury College in 1960. While at Middlebury, he majored in economics and participated on the soccer team, in intramural sports, and on various committees. He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon.

Following graduation in 1964, Bill entered into Naval OCS. For most of his tour in the Navy, Bill was assigned to USS Porterfield DD682, home ported in San Diego. During that 3-year tour in the Pacific Fleet, he spent 13 months off the coast of Vietnam, where the USS Porterfield supported landings by our Marines, flight operations from carriers, and other missions.

Once that tour was completed, Bill entered into the field of banking, first with Irving Trust Company on Wall Street, then in California for a few years, moving to Boston's State Street Corporation in 1973. Bill spent 29 years with State Street, moving around the corporation in various executive capacities. These included Commercial Lending, Global Cash Management, and Global Institutional Investor Services. He retired in 2002 at 60.

Bill's retirement was prompted by his desire to spend more time in the non-profit world, where he has been active, serving on some 9 boards around the country. He was instrumental in founding and co-chairing a program for retirees of State Street, whose mission it is to volunteer at various non-profits in the great Boston area. Participants in this program now number well over 250 individuals.

Bill is presently a Trustee Emeritus of Gould Academy, where he served as Treasurer and as Secretary of the Board and as Chair of its Finance and Advancement Committees. He is also a retired Director of the Maine Community Foundation, where he served as Treasurer, Chair of the Finance, Audit and Advancement Committees. Bill is also a founding director of the Trinity Boston Foundation and a former member of the Vestry of Trinity Church, Boston.

His service to Middlebury includes the Presidency of the Middlebury Alumni Association for several years, followed by election to the Board of Trustees in 1992, serving as a Charter Trustee for 15 years. During that time, he was appointed chair of several board committees, Vice Chair of the Board, and served as Co-Chair of the Bicentennial Celebration in 2000. He was elected as a Trustee Emeritus in 2009. He is presently Co-Chair for the Centennial Celebration in 2015 for Middlebury's Language Schools.

In addition, Bill was elected as Chair of the Board of Governors of the Monterey Institute of International Studies in 2005, upon the establishment of Middlebury's affiliation with the Monterey Institute. He will be retiring from that position in June of this year, but will remain a member of its Board of Overseers.

Bill and his partner of 28 years, Jim May, reside in Boston, MA, Bethel ME, and in Palm Springs, CA.

The Middlebury College commencement ceremony will be held on the main quadrangle behind Voter Hall on College Street at 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 25. More than 5,000 family and friends are expected to attend.