It is with great sadness that The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) shares the passing of beloved TFAS professor, supporter and friend, William (Bill) C. Dennis. He passed away surrounded by his loved ones on November 10, 2023 at the age of 81.

Bill lived a prosperous life as he spent his early career teaching at Denison University in Ohio until interrupted by a two-year stint at the U.S. Department of the Interior during the Reagan administration, a tenure in which he proudly “learned a lot and did little damage to the commonwealth.” In 1984, he followed his passion of advancing the ideas and ideals of America’s founders when he joined the Liberty Fund in Indianapolis as a program director.

TFAS was fortunate to have Bill as a faculty member for the spring and fall semesters in 2004.

TFAS president Roger Ream shares his cherished memories of Bill during his time at TFAS.

“Bill Dennis was one of the more intellectually curious people I have known in my life,” Ream said. “He was passionate about history, politics and philosophy, and always welcomed conversation with students and others who shared his desire to explore the world and human relations. Bill also loved nature. He was a mountain climber, hiker and bird watcher. All of us at TFAS are grateful for the opportunities we had to work with him, explore ideas with him and be inspired by him.”

Bill spent his free time mountaineering which started at the young age of 13 when he climbed Wyoming’s Grand Teton for the very first time. He went on to climb Denali, summits across the American West and beyond and most notably, he become the first climber to summit Alaska’s Mount Denison.

Read more about the life and legacy of Bill here.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday at 2:00 P.M., Nov. 18, at St. James Episcopal Church in Bozeman, MT, with a burial of ashes in Richmond, IN at a to-be-determined date. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests any donations be made to PERC (The Property & Environment Research Center) in Bozeman, MT.