Cailey Wright
Accountancy Day is an annual event at Troy, but this year’s event was unique due to the School of Accountancy being renamed for William H. Carr, who has generously donated to the school over the years.
The Troy University School of Accountancy has been renamed the William H. Carr School of Accountancy. The renaming comes due to the accountancy program’s 25-year long relationship with the accountancy firm, Carr, Riggs & Ingram.
“For us in a business school setting, having a name of accountancy, in particular, after someone like Bill Car really helps raise the stature of our programs,” said Judson Edwards, the Dean of the Sorrell College of Business. “It ties the core beliefs of Bill with what we do in the School of Accountancy, like having a strong, ethical accounting program and then again it’s just a great honor for us to have it in this Sorrell College of Business.”
Carr, Riggs & Ingram have had more partners and employees from Troy than any other University. Edwards considers this significant being that the firm has approximately 2,000 employees over a span of 11 southern states.
Edwards said that over the years, Carr, Riggs & Ingram has had around 50 partners rom Troy over the years. Partners manage and operate a business together and share the profits.
“Many students have passed through Carr, Riggs and Ingram as a first job and moved on and some have stayed a lifetime so it is a great relationship to have,” Edwards said.
According to Doug Mims, a partner of Carr, Riggs & Ingram, the plan to name Troy’s School of Accountancy after Carr has been in the works for years. Carr had an agreement with the Chancellor that the new name would not be unveiled until Carr was closer to retiring.
“I think it’s monumental for our firm,” Mims said. “It’s a great tribute to Bill and his career and his family, and I think it means a lot to the southeastern United States, quite frankly, and the accounting profession as a whole.”
Mims expressed how the renaming was an honor to the firm. He also said that it was an accurate reflection of the type of person Carr is.
“First of all, Bill would be fine if he wasn’t being honored,” Mims said. “That’s Bill Carr, he’s a humble man, but for me I couldn’t be happier or more proud of Bill for it, and I think it speaks tremendously to his legacy in the profession.”
Carr was at the ceremony but was unavailable to comment.
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