William "Bill" Cain papers contain materials from his career at ECU and personal items.
William "Bill" Cain was born September 30, 1933 in Rockingham, NC. He attended Rockingham High School and graduated in 1953. He then attended East Carolina College and played on the football team for three seasons from 1957 to 1959. He served as a co-captain on the 1959 team and earned All-Carolina's Conference offensive/defensive end that year. He graduated from East Carolina College in 1959 with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education. In 1961 he received a Masters of Science Degree in Education. Additionally he served in the US Army between 1955 and 1957. He was stationed at Fort Meade, Maryland for two years where he played service football. He married East Carolina alum Frances Cain and had two children Lance and Tracey.
From 1960 to 1965, Bill worked as head football and track coach at Suffolk High School in Suffolk, VA where he also taught health and physical education. From 1965 to 1968, Bill worked as head football coach, head track coach, athletic director and faculty member at Albemarle High School in Albemarle, NC. In 1968 he was hired at East Carolina University to be the Head Freshman Football Coach. In 1970 he served as the Business Manager of the Athletic Department and between 1973 and 1975 served as the Assistant Athletic Director. He also served as Head Golf Coach and Tennis Coach and contributed the establishment of the East Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame. He was appointed Athletic Director in 1975 after the passing of Clarence Stasavich. In 1980, Cain transitioned full time into academics and served as Assistant to the Dean of Health and Human Performance. He was elected to the East Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997. He retired from ECU on May 15, 2018 after fifty years of service. Additionally he served on the Board of Trustees for Pitt Community College and helped establish their baseball program. He died on June 8, 2022.
This collection contains certificates, correspondence, event programs and ephemera, newsletters and publications, newspaper clippings, and photos from William Cain's career at ECU. The collection also includes William Cain's personal items.
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This collection is a part of Faculty Records.
UA40-01, Southern Miss vs. ECU football program, 1997; UA50-59, The Pirates' Chest, Sept. 1997; UA16-01, Campaign for East Carolina Scholars report; UA35-01, College of Allied Health Sciences graduate recognition program, 2000; UA30-04, College of Health and Human Performance Wall of Fame induction program, 2016; UA80 Air Force and Army ROTC medallion, 2008; high school yearbooks and Our State magazine were given to the North Carolina Collection