William "Bill" Davidson graduated from Union High School in Union, New Jersey, in 1954. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Education/Journalism from Grinnell College in Iowa. Bill joined the U.S. Army after college for two years and then attended Newark State College and the State College at Oneonta for graduate studies.
Bill began his teaching career in Hillside, New Jersey, and then came to Sidney to begin a career in education that lasted 33½ years. He taught seventh grade math and eighth grade English for most of his time in Sidney. During his tenure, Bill was President of the Sidney Teachers' Association and was named Teacher of the Year for 1974-1975. His students still comment on the skills they learned in his classroom.
A major portion of Bill's life was coaching wrestling and cross country. In 1965 Bill became the first cross country coach at Sidney, and in 1967 he led an undefeated team that ranked third in the state. His JV wrestling teams had a 113-29 record from 1962-1973. Stories about Coach Davidson are still talked about by students today. His leadership accomplishments earned him the honor of becoming an inductee to the Sidney Sports Hall of Fame. Bill has been an active member of the community since his retirement in 1988. As a member of the Sidney Rotary since 1989, he served as President from 1993-1994. He is always helping new members to become active and lives the motto, "Service above Self."
For over twenty years Bill has been the chaplain for the Sidney American Legion and the advisor for the Sons of the American Legion. In addition, Bill is currently a member of the Eagle Scout Board of Review for the Leatherstocking Boy Scout Council. When Bill was interviewed by Rotary, he was asked what his proudest moments since moving to Sidney were. He replied, "I am so glad I moved to Sidney and had the honor of being a teacher, coach, Rotarian, Legionnaire, church member, and volunteer in the community."
Dennis Porter stated, "Bill Davidson has encouraged me since I was a student in high school. He encouraged me when he was my cross country and wrestling coach and continues to be a mentor to me today. I am very pleased that Bill Davidson has been nominated to the Sidney Wall of Fame. It is a well-deserved honor."