Bill was born in Montana in 1940. The formative years were spent in Boulder, Colorado where he graduated from High School. He obtained a BA in Latin American Studies from the University of Colorado in 1966. He received his Phd from the University of Colorado in 1976 in the field of Economics. From 1971 to 2005 he was employed by the University of Saskatchewan as a Professor of Economics.
Bill got his first aquarium in December 1956 for Christmas. He has been keeping fish off an on ever since. He still has that first aquarium. Bill has kept a variety of community tank fish, but has over the last 20 years specialized mostly in Killifish, Livebearers, and Catfish (Corydoras, and similar fish). More recently, Bill has been keeping mostly annual killifish, especially those in the genus of Nothobranchius.
Bill accompanied Brian Watters and Barry Cooper on two collecting trips in Africa. The first was in Tanzania, and the second was in Zambia and a corner of Namibia. In the latter trip, the crew was joined by Otto Schmidt. These two trips broadened Bill’s interest in the genus of Nothobranchius, and of Lampeyes (non-annual killifish).
Bill has propagated, or helped in the propagation of, over 180 species of fish for the Saskatoon Aquarium Society BAP program. He is still active in that program and the propagation of the fish collected in Africa. He is a certified CAOAC and AKA judge.