The path that led to a legacy

The Path That Led to a Legacy


Bill Cockrum celebrates nearly four decades at UCLA Anderson

  • After nearly four decades, Adjunct Professor Bill Cockrum is retiring from the classroom
  • Though he’ll no longer be teaching at Anderson, his legacy will endure, through his philanthropy and through the thousands of students he’s impacted over the years
  • “I want to help students who are already here and trying to figure out what they’re going to do and how they can make the world better,” Cockrum says

It’s hard to imagine UCLA Anderson without Adjunct Professor Bill Cockrum walking the halls with his glasses perched high on his head. But after nearly four decades, amassing 10 teaching awards and instructing more than 8,000 students, Cockrum is leaving the classroom, but not Anderson, he’s quick to point out. Although he is set to retire from teaching on June 30, 2022, his legacy will live on in perpetuity thanks to his investment in the School , not to mention the hearts and minds of students, countless of whom he’s helped land jobs and internships.

Had life taken a different turn, Cockrum may never have been at Anderson. After graduating with honors from DePauw University and Harvard Business School, Harvard asked him to stay and obtain a Ph.D. Cockrum had a choice to make. “I had no money and had to figure out a way to make things work, so at age 23, I joined a small financial services firm with 250 employees,” he said.

Cockrum was the youngest officer in the firm’s history, and after 25 years holding several leadership positions, he decided to launch his own consulting firm, which is still in existence today, with 50 past clients. That was when he was introduced to (now) Senior Associate Dean and director of the Price Center Alfred E. Osborne , Jr. who asked if he might like to teach a course in entrepreneurship. Bill replied that he would try it and see if he was any good at it.

Cockrum’s dedication to UCLA Anderson began nearly on day one. Since his consulting practice was successfully providing for his family, he started thinking about what to do with his teaching income. “It didn’t make a lot of sense to me to pile up a bunch of capital, so I thought about giving it back to the School,” he explained. “I figured, you have to find a place where you’re going to make a difference, and it seemed like Anderson was going to be the place where I could give back and it would make a difference.”

In addition to donating his salary back to the School, Cockrum has made other gifts totaling to date more than $10 million. He’s also targeted Anderson in his estate, which can make charitable contributions to the School for decades upon his passing. During his tenure, he’s created three courses, all of which are still being taught. He convinced Osborne to hire now Executive Director of the Price Center Elaine Hagan (’91), who has been instrumental to the Center’s growth for more than 30 years. He also has traveled to 87 different countries to meet with alumni, served as faculty advisor to the UCLA Anderson alumni board , and led the Student Investment Fund.

Perhaps one of his proudest accomplishments is the Student Investment Fund, which began with a five-year commitment of $250,000 from one donor and today boasts more than $4 million in managed assets. Four ¬¬¬to five percent of the fund is given back annually to students receiving financial aid, which has so far amounted to $2.2 million. Cockrum has not only taught the competitive 18-month course, but also secured donors to contribute to its growth. The course has matriculated 300 students, over half of whom are in investment management positions today.

Around the time of his 80th birthday, the School asked Cockrum how he’d like to commemorate the occasion. He began thinking of his early days in financial services and the decision he made to leave Harvard so he could support his family. He toyed with the idea of a fellowship that would help current Anderson students pursue their passions upon graduation.

“I want to help students who are already here and trying to figure out what they’re going to do and how they can make the world better,” he said. “I envisioned a fellowship for second-year students to submit applications as they get ready to graduate. Applicants let us know the student debt they’ve accumulated, why they’d like to have it paid down and what they plan to do in the world. And if they have the means in their lifetime, they sign a document that says they will pay it forward to give someone else the same opportunity.”

At the time the fellowship was conceived, a “pay it forward” approach was unconventional. Today, Cockrum says other universities are emulating the concept. When asked if the idea for the fellowship was a direct result of his own career trajectory, Cockrum insists it isn’t. “You have to do in life what comes along, and I’m not sure that I would have been any good at being there at Harvard,” he said. “This was a much better alternative.”

For UCLA Anderson, Professor Cockrum’s alternative path leaves a legacy for generations. You can honor his legacy as he retires from UCLA Anderson with a gift to the William M. Cockrum III Fellowship. Learn more and make your contribution.

For more information, contact Lauren Seebold, senior director, leadership and annual giving, at (310) 206-2449 or lauren.seebold@anderson.ucla.edu.