Government » Enid Walk of Fame » 1991-2000
Bill Munn was born February 11, 1917, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to Margaret and Cecil Munn. As a small child, Bill’s family moved to Enid where he resided until his death on June 22, 1996.
As a child and teenager, Bill always had a great love for animals. Bill and his younger brother, Cecil, rode and showed American Saddle Bred horses, learning from the old masters equestrian skills which played a great role in his adult life.
At the age of 14, Bill refuted his father’s request to join in the family business and become a grain operator. Consequently, his parents sent him to military school in Missouri where he would excel in athletics. Bill was captain of the indoor and outdoor track teams running the high and low hurdles.
During the fall of 1936 his enrollment to Missouri University and track were canceled. At the age of 19, Bill returned to Enid on the sudden death of his father. His father’s grain elevator business was in serious financial trouble. Bill decided to sell anything he could find a buyer for to pay off the family debt. Finally, Bill was able to liquidate the elevator and was able to get a job working for Pillsbury Flour Mill.
From 1939 through 1942, with the help of friends, Bill pledged Beta Theta Pi at Oklahoma A&M University and was given a track athletic scholarship. His major was in animal husbandry where it was his dream to be a veterinarian. While at the university, Bill enjoyed being on a winning track team. Bill ran on the Oklahoma A&M relay team which race is listed in the 1942 World Almanac. In 1982, Bill was inducted into the O.S.U. Track Hall of Fame.
In December, 1941, Bill married Peggy, his wife of 30 years. They had a son, Bill, Jr. and a daughter, Cecle Fowler. His wife, Peggy, predeceased him in 1973.
In 1942, Bill joined the U.S. Army and was assigned First Lt. During 1944-46 Bill was sent to Adjutant Operations Officer with the 368th Combat Engineers. They went to Utah Beach and to Vienna. After his army service he returned to Enid.
Upon returning to Enid he went back to work for Pillsbury in the grain testing lab. In 1948, Bill terminated his employment with Pillsbury and purchased the Mobile Station at the corner of Van Buren and Oklahoma. In 1951, Bill purchased a welding a medical gas supply business. After 40 years of successfully operating this business, he sold the same to his nephew and retired in 1991.
In 1978, he married Toni Phillips. They were blessed with 18 years of marriage. During Bill’s adult life, he was committed to civic duty. He served one term as a city commissioner, 3-4 terms as a Police Civil Service Commissioner, served on the Enid Chamber of Commerce, served on the City of Enid’s Park Board, started and ran the Fourth of July Meadowlake Horse Show for 20 years and in 1982, along with K.P. Simpson, revived and co-chaired the Enid Cherokee Strip Celebration. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church where he was a deacon, elder and served on the board of Trustees. He was a member of and supported the Enid American Legion Argonne Post #4. In 1994 he was named Rotarian of the Year. In 1995 he was named the Enid Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year.
