William H. McPherson, Jr. (Bill) received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1942 from Syracuse University and attended graduate school at the Institute for Paper Science and Technology in Appleton, WI. During World War II, he worked on the Manhattan Project (atomic bomb project) in Oak Ridge, TN, and thereafter returned to Appleton where he received his doctorate in paper chemistry. Bill moved to International Falls in 1952 so that he could become the supervisor of paper research with the new research lab owned by the Minnesota-Ontario Paper Company. In later years, Bill became the manager of the research laboratory, overseeing the activity of up to 50 scientific and technical employees.
Bill was very supportive of education, particularly in the sciences, and devoted much effort to Rainy River Community College, serving as a board member on the RRCC Foundation. The William H. McPherson, Jr. Scholarship Fund represents a goal that Bill had in mind for many years – that of supporting students of science. (Text from Scholarship America)