William Troy Award

This article was published in the fall 2020 issue of the New England College Magazine.

William Troy—a native of Concord, New Hampshire, and orphaned early in life—served briefly in the U.S. Navy before attending NEC. He was active on campus. He played football, basketball, and soccer; served as editor of The New Englander and an officer in several literary societies; pledged Sigma Alpha Beta; and made the Dean’s List. Off campus, he worked as a sportswriter for the Concord Monitor and ran in the Boston Marathon each year. Troy graduated in 1952.

The next year, he entered the military a second time, as a medic in the U.S. Army. Initially, he was sent to Japan and then almost immediately to the Korean Combat Zone. On June 10, 1953, Troy was killed in action while going to the aid of a fellow soldier.

NEC dedicated its 1955 yearbook to Troy’s memory. In 1965, NEC’s Alumni Association bestowed the first William Troy Award, which has become the most prestigious award presented by the Association.

Alumni of NEC receive first consideration for this award, but recipients may also be faculty, staff, trustees, or friends of the College with at least a ten-year association with NEC.

The William Troy Award honors others who share the qualities Troy exemplified: service, dedication, and leadership.

Learn more and nominate someone for this award.

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