William Russell “Bill” Raiford was born on May 21, 1930 in Valdosta, GA but spent the majority of his first 18 years in Thomasville, GA. He was the only son of W. Frank Raiford and Clara Shepherd Raiford. Growing up, he lived through both the Great Depression and World War II and would have a diverse series of life experiences. He began playing the piano at 4 years old, and this would become a lifelong talent. However, through all his adventures, Bill never forgot about Thomasville. When his beloved wife Chase passed away in 2000, he began lining things up to come back home after spending 40 plus years living in the Washington, DC area. As fate would have it, a childhood home in Thomasville came available. He bought it and renovated it into the place he was once again proud to call home for his last 20 years of life.
He graduated from Thomasville High School in 1948. Bill entered the United States Military Academy at West Point in July 1948. In those days cadet companies were structured by cadets’ height. Bill being over 6 feet tall, he was assigned to cadet company L-2. He was appointed cadet lieutenant in his First Class year. He was a member of the Glee Club all four years and also served as its director. He wrote the music for the “Hundred Night Show” his last year. Bill was an active member of the Dialectic Society and Russian Club. He served on the Ring Committee, as well as the Chapel Choir, all four years. He ran track in his sophomore and junior years, continuing his athletic experience from high school.
A gifted pianist, Cadet Raiford accompanied the West Point Glee Club and the West Point Army Band when they performed jointly at Carnegie Hall in January 1952, and he led the Glee Club in a rendition of “God Bless America” with Kate Smith on her television show a month later. He performed piano recitals many times at local events, as well as globally, in particular at the First Baptist Church in Thomasville.
He graduated from West Point in 1952. Upon graduation, he volunteered for Korea while combat was still going on and served with distinction in the Korean War. For that service, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and two Army Commendation Medals. He was assigned to the 120th Combat Engineer Battalion and, a few months later, as aide-de-camp to the commanding general of the 45th Infantry Division (a desirable assignment for an Army lieutenant).
Following completion of his active military service in 1957, he served as the IBM Corporation liaison to the U.S. Air Force on the SAGE Project, which coordinated the air defense of North America with the Canadian Dew Line Defense System. He subsequently served as the IBM/Army mobile computer coordinator during the Cuban Missile Crisis and then as the executive assistant to the president of IBM’s Federal Systems Division. Through his work in military intelligence, he would eventually serve in some capacity in support of every U.S. president from Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan.
Attendance at graduate schools included Rutgers University in international banking, Wharton School of Finance, New York Institute of Finance, Georgetown University in pure mathematics, and George Washington University in Russian language and literature. These enabled him to transfer into the stock brokerage and financial advisory fields, while also serving as an advisor to the Defense Intelligence Agency on Middle Eastern affairs. In 1981, he created his own investment counseling firm, Asset Management International, and merged it into the firm of E. F. Hutton and Company in 1985, where he served with that firm and subsequently merged firms, retiring from Smith Barney in 2001.
He spent time in Russia during the Cold War and spoke Russian fluently. He studied Russian as a second language at West Point. When presented the French Legion of Honor, he expressed his gratitude to the French prime minister in his native language. In fact, he was conversant in seven languages, including Mandarin Chinese and Korean. He just had an innate aptitude for languages.
Among his leadership roles, Bill was a 60-year member of the Society of the Cincinnati and served as the organization’s president general from 1998 to 2001. Bill served as USMA Class of 1952 president from 1972 to 1982 and presided over both the 25th and 30th class reunions. He also served on the West Point Association of Graduates Board of Directors and chaired the West Point bicentennial planning steering group.
Bill had a deep love of family. Growing up, his ability to make a welcoming environment for friends and guests in the family home made everyone feel comfortable and safe. He will be missed by both friends and family, but the family cannot express just how much he meant in terms of his love, compassion, guidance, and support. Each of his children and grandchildren know that he will always be with them to help guide them through their lives.
Bill died on August 18, 2021 and is inurned in the columbarium under the Old Cadet Chapel at West Point. He was a man of strong faith, a patriot, a devoted family man, a loving husband-father-grandfather, and a true Renaissance man with many talents. Bill was unwavering in his belief that an appreciation of what America was and is was essential to being a good citizen. He worked very hard over his life to perpetuate and honor that history.
If ability makes the man, Bill will never have a thing to worry about. He brought a variety of things with him. He is at home on the piano, and can play anything, whether it be light or heavy. The many friends he has made here are looking forward to seeing him successful in the not-too-distant future.
— 1952 Howitzer