Cheyenne Businessman Dinneen Receives UW Medallion Service Award

Oct. 9, 2003 -- William Dinneen, whose family has operated a transportation businesses in Cheyenne while contributing to numerous state and community projects for nearly 100 years, is the 26th recipient of the University of Wyoming Medallion Service Award. He will be recognized during UW Homecoming activities Oct. 17-18.

The Medallion Service Award, begun in 1968 but not given annually, recognizes "outstanding service and dedication to the University."

Before becoming an established businessman, Dinneen first attended UW following military service. He'd served in the Army's 103rd Division, which landed at Versailles in 1944, and received the Combat Infantry Badge and a Purple Heart.

Although Dinneen had started out studying engineering, his father, William J. Dinneen Sr., persuaded him to study business and accounting. He became a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity, serving as president of the house and of the Interfraternity Council at UW. He was also a member of the student senate. To earn a living, he served meals at the Delta Delta Delta sorority house, where he met his future wife, Marietta Trowbridge (home economics, '51).

Dinneen joined his father in the automobile business in 1949, when they owned and operated the Cheyenne Motor Bus Company, and sold and represented the Plymouth line of cars. In the mid-1950s, they sold the bus company and changed from DeSoto-Plymouth to the Ford Motor Company, taking on the Lincoln-Mercury-Edsel franchise. They added Subaru cars and service in 1979, Pontiac, Buick cars and service in 1989, and Mazda cars and service in 1996. Throughout this entire period Dinneen also owned and operated the Hertz car rental franchise in Cheyenne.

In 1995 and 1996, the North American Customer Excellence Award was presented to the Lincoln-Mercury dealership in recognition of its outstanding customer satisfaction through progressive management, dedicated employees and high standards of operational excellence. For his outstanding performance as an automobile dealer and a valued citizen of his community, Dinneen in 1995 received the Quality Dealer Award for Business Achievement and Community Service, sponsored by Time Magazine in association with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, in cooperation with the National Automobile Dealer's Association.

His civic-minded attitude shows in his varied volunteer service to the community. He's been a member of the Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce, the Urban Renewal Board, the Downtown Association, Rotary and the Young Men's Literacy Society. He's been on the boards of Cheyenne National Bank, the First Wyoming Bank and Key Bank. He also was a board member for United Way and many other organizations in Cheyenne. He's been especially active with Frontier Days, having served as parade chairman, planning committee member and on the Board of Directors.

Dinneen has also found some time to contribute to UW causes, and has been a generous donor to the UW Foundation and to the Cowboy Joe Club. The business has supplied automobiles for use by UW football coaches as one of many ways to support the teams. He's also loaned his expertise by serving on the College of Business Advisory Council. He's retired from those volunteer activities now, he says, and instead hopes to spend a little time playing golf.

Posted on Thursday, October 09, 2003