GVSU reception remembers Bill Seidman

Bill Seidman, the man behind the creation of Grand Valley State University, was remembered Wednesday night at a university reception.

He died in Albuquerque, N.M. at the age of 88.

Seidman made a name for himself in the financial world, advising presidents such as Gerald R. Ford, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He was a chairman of the FDIC, and more recently, a contributor on CNBC.

The Grand Rapids native loved education, which left a lasting mark in West Michigan.

He will forever be remembered for the impact he had on the community, both professionally and as a person. At his reception, people remembered the namesake of the institution's business school fondly.

"I remember him as a person of unusual energy and intelligence," former Grand Valley State University president Don Lubbers said. "And if you combine those two, you get quite a person."

Lubbers said next to his own father, Seidman was the second-most influential person in his life.

"Bill was a loyal mentor to many of us," Lubbers said. "Eighty-eight years, always on the go."

Maribeth Wardrop, the vice president of development at GVSU, is a former babysitter of the Seidman family.

"Bill Seidman, as a person, was very approachable," Wardrop said. "He was like a teddy bear. He was very down to earth."

Seidman and his wife Sally were like surrogate parents, she said.

Wardrop looked back on a special summer celebration.

"The Siedmans, when they were starting GVSU, every 4th of July would have a beautiful lobster party at Lake Michigan," Wardrop said.

Sally Seidman was the cook, she said, and Bill Seidman ran the show.

His spirit was contagious.

Lubbers said Seidman once told him that his greatest accomplishment was Grand Valley State University.