William “Bill” Gossett will be honored with a Doctorate of Humane Letters at Lincoln College on Veteran’s Day, Wednesday, November 11.
Gossett is a 1943 alum of Lincoln College, U.S. Army veteran, community leader and volunteer, outstanding Lincoln College supporter, and a successful retired businessman.
Gossett served in the Army Air Corps in the U.S. and Europe from 1943 to 1946, during the height of World War II. After returning home, Gossett took over the family business, Gossett’s Cleaners, which served the Lincoln Community for 75 years. He later started Gossett’s Decorator Studio and ran both businesses until retiring in 2001.
While Gossett has been a successful businessman for decades, he is best known for his selfless service to Lincoln and Logan County. He has been an active member of numerous civic organizations including the Abraham Lincoln Hospital Association, American Legion, Knight’s Templar, Lincoln Rotary, Lincoln Toastmasters Club, Lincoln-Logan County Chamber of Commerce, Masons, Oasis Senior Center, Salvation Army, and the Union Cemetery Association. He is a member of Trinity Episcopal Church, cohosts the radio show “View Point” and hosts the “Sunday Morning Swing” on WLCN in Atlanta, Illinois.
Always putting education as a priority, Gossett has served on the Lincoln District 27 and West Lincoln-Broadwell School Boards, Lincoln Community High School Steering Committee, and as a mentor to students at Washington-Monroe School. Gossett was also the Chairman of the Lincoln Elk’s Crippled Children’s Commission. He has shared his love of education at the Logan Correctional Center and is a positive role model for all aspects of education.
At his side for 70 years is Gossett’s wife, Rhoda “Jean” Gossett. Bill and Jean Gossett have been active and enthusiastic supporters of Lincoln College, its mission, and its programs for decades. He joined the Lincoln College Board of Trustees in 1998 and served as a member of the Board for 15 years. Upon his retirement from the Board, Gossett was elected as Trustee Emeritus in 2013. He was also inducted into the Lincoln College Athletic Hall of Fame as a Friend of Athletics in 2017 and was the recipient of the Alumni Achievement Award in 2013.
Gossett will be presented the Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letter on November 11 at 4:00 p.m. CT in the Lincoln Center gymnasium. Due to Lincoln College’s current guidelines, guests may view the ceremony on LCTV on Xfinity Cable Channel 5, online at www.lincolncollege.edu/lctv-stream, or on the LCTV at Lincoln College app, available for free at the Google Play Store or App Store.
