About Bill Hammack

Q. William “Bill” Hammack, Jr.’73

In 2017, alumnus Bill Hammack and his wife, Diane, made a transformational $50 million gift to Oglethorpe University. Their generosity enabled Oglethorpe to establish the Q. William Hammack, Jr. School of Business. 

Not only was this gift the largest in the university’s 182-year history, it was also the largest ever to a liberal arts and sciences university to establish a school of business.

A business major, Hammack began his lifelong career while still a student at Oglethorpe.

Hammack served as President and Chief Executive Officer of C. W. Matthews Contracting Company, Inc., the state’s largest heavy highway construction company. He retired in 2014 after 43 years with the company and continues to serve as a member of its Board of Directors.

Founded in 1946, C.W. Matthews started with three employees, one tractor, and two dump trucks and was responsible for the repair of the I-85 overpass when it was severely damaged by an industrial fire in 2017. During his tenure, Hammack helped guide and facilitate changes within the company to maintain its position as an industry leader.

A Georgia native, Hammack is a past president of the Georgia Highway Contractors Association and is active in philanthropic endeavors throughout Georgia, especially those involving children and animals. He is also a CPA, licensed in the state of Georgia. He previously served on the Oglethorpe University Board of Trustees (2012-2013).

Throughout his career, the basis of Bill Hammack’s leadership style was ethics, honor, quality, and commitment to excellence.

As I reflect back upon my professional success, I can directly attribute it to the leadership, communication, and critical thinking skills I learned by attending a liberal arts institution … I hope to help a new generation of business leaders find their own success.