SPECIAL TO THE REPORTER

William F. &8220;Bill&8221; Denson III will be the speaker at the University of Montevallo’s annual fall commencement ceremony, which will take place Friday, Dec. 16, at 7:30 p.m., in Palmer Auditorium.

Denson graduated with highest honors in 1965 from Alabama College, now the University of Montevallo, with a bachelor of arts degree in political science. He went on to earn a juris doctor degree from Emory University in 1968.

He practiced law with the Birmingham firm of Spain, Gillon, Riley, Tate and Ansley until 1973, when he joined Vulcan Materials Company of Birmingham as an attorney in the legal department. He rose in the company through a series of promotions, achieving his current position of senior vice president, general counsel and secretary in 1999.

Denson served as national chairman of the University of Montevallo Annual Fund Campaign from 1982-1983. He was appointed to the UM board of trustees in 1987 and served as a trustee for 13 years. He was named vice chair of the board and served in that role during the transitions of two presidential administrations. A generous benefactor to his alma mater, Denson served as co-chair of the Century of Distinction Campaign, which raised $7.7 million for the University.

Denson is a member of the Birmingham Bar Association, the Alabama State Bar, the American Bar Association, the American Judicare Society and the Alabama Association of Corporate Counsel. He is also a member of the board of directors of the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama, the Emory University Law School Council and FM Global.

Denson has served in a number of positions with St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, including senior warden, from 1983 to 1984; finance chairman, from 1984 to the present; and chairman of the stewardship campaign in 1986.

A former president of the board of trustees of The Episcopal Foundation of Jefferson County, Denson is also a past member of the board of directors of Glenwood Mental Health Services Inc. and the board of directors of Lakeshore Inc. He has served as a member of The Greater Birmingham Foundation Forum, the board of management of the Downtown YMCA, the board of directors of the Visiting Nurses Association, the board of trustees of Child Mental Health Services Inc., the board of control of the Vulcan Chapter of the National Management Association and Central State Bank