For Ralph Piercy, ’74 BS Accounting, the inspiration to become an accountant came from a rather unlikely source.
“The first day I walked on campus, one of the assistant basketball coaches asked me a few probing questions, looked at my less-than-intimidating physique, and recommended that I major in accounting,” says Piercy. “At the time I had no idea what accounting was, but it seems to have turned out pretty well.”
In November, the accounting firm he founded, Piercy, Bowler, Taylor & Kern, was ranked 83rd among the nation’s top 100 accounting firms by the independent Bowman Accounting Report. And that’s not the only honor he received during the month. As part of the university’s annual homecoming festivities, Piercy was honored as Alumnus of the Year, the most prestigious award the UNLV Alumni Association bestows.
“It took me a little while to warm up to the significance of the alumni award,” Piercy says. “When I saw myself being honored among such a distinguished group of honorees, it was a real humbling experience. It’s nice to be able to have the opportunity to thank those at UNLV who have helped me become what I am today.”
A donor to athletics and longtime member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, Piercy was active in the building of the Richard Tam Alumni Center, the Alumni Amphitheater, and the alumni area of Sam Boyd Stadium. He also helped establish the annual alumni scholarships and served as president of UNLV’s accounting department advisory council.
“Many of the traditions that survive were started during my various terms on the alumni board,” Piercy says. “It’s important to stay involved and give back as a way to say ‘thank you’ to the professors who devote so much time in education but rarely receive enough credit.”
A longtime Nevadan, Piercy has seen the community blossom into an urban center while his business has grown to a staff of more than 70. Though he didn’t predict his own success as a student, he’s not surprised by UNLV’s gaining stature.
“I fully expected UNLV to become a large research university,” says Piercy. “The ideas that are now coming to fruition were in plans more than 30 years ago. People like Claudine Williams and other dedicated professionals had a vision of what UNLV could become and stuck with it while it happened.”
Rodman, Williams Receive Silver State Award
Community leaders Kitty Rodman and Claudine Williams received the 2005 Silver State Award, the highest honor given to nonalumni by the UNLV Alumni Association, at homecoming in November.
Rodman has been involved with the university since the 1980s when she became a member of the UNLV Foundation Board of Trustees and the President’s Inner Circle. She is a founding member of the Jean Nidetch Women’s Center on campus and is noted for a contribution that helped establish the physical therapy program.
Williams, currently chairwoman of the board for Harrah’s Las Vegas, is a founding member of the Foundation Board of Trustees and recently established a scholarship fund in the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration in memory of her late husband, Shelby. She also has served on numerous campus advisory boards.
