He Was the First in 1974

He Was the First in 1974

William Bryan

William Bryan tuned his ear to the ground for news as soon as he first learned about the possibility of a technical college being planned for Aiken County in 1969. Working for Graniteville Company and married with a wife and two babies, he knew that opportunity was knocking at his door for continued education while still working to support his family.
     When a feasibility study was completed in 1969, the technical college was approved. Will’s hopes rose even higher when an official class was begun in the old Presbyterian church in downtown Aiken September of 1972 with William in attendance. 
     On May 3rd, 2022, William was recognized at the Aiken Tech graduation ceremony by the current Aiken Tech President, Dr. Forest Mahan,as the recipient of the first associate degree in school history. The graduation ceremony celebrated Tech’s 50-year anniversary. The school asked the 1974 graduation class for words of wisdom for the newest class of graduates. Will’s advice was, “Don’t ever quit. Keep going, don’t quit, because once you quit it’s easy to quit again and not go back. But don’t ever quit.”
     William retired in 2001 as Department Manager at the Townsend Division of Avondale Mills. After living in Aiken since 1963, in 1995 he his wife Carol moved back to Edgefield to live on old Bryan family property on Rocky Creek. He and his wife Carol are well known in the neighborhood for his “Will juice.” His hobby is making the cherished scuppernong wine which neighbors and friends receive as a gift if they are fortunate.

William Bryan

William Bryan tuned his ear to the ground for news as soon as he first learned about the possibility of a technical college being planned for Aiken County in 1969. Working for Graniteville Company and married with a wife and two babies, he knew that opportunity was knocking at his door for continued education while still working to support his family.
     When a feasibility study was completed in 1969, the technical college was approved. Will’s hopes rose even higher when an official class was begun in the old Presbyterian church in downtown Aiken September of 1972 with William in attendance. 
     On May 3rd, 2022, William was recognized at the Aiken Tech graduation ceremony by the current Aiken Tech President, Dr. Forest Mahan,as the recipient of the first associate degree in school history. The graduation ceremony celebrated Tech’s 50-year anniversary. The school asked the 1974 graduation class for words of wisdom for the newest class of graduates. Will’s advice was, “Don’t ever quit. Keep going, don’t quit, because once you quit it’s easy to quit again and not go back. But don’t ever quit.”
     William retired in 2001 as Department Manager at the Townsend Division of Avondale Mills. After living in Aiken since 1963, in 1995 he his wife Carol moved back to Edgefield to live on old Bryan family property on Rocky Creek. He and his wife Carol are well known in the neighborhood for his “Will juice.” His hobby is making the cherished scuppernong wine which neighbors and friends receive as a gift if they are fortunate.