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June 19, 2014

Entrepreneur of hope: Remembering Bill Featheringill

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bill-featheringillWilliam W. Featheringill knew a thing or two about building successful health-care enterprises in Alabama, and he always considered UAB to be a good investment. “UAB has been, is, and will continue to be a tremendously important institution in our community,” said the Birmingham investor, entrepreneur, and venture capitalist in an interview before he passed away in December 2012. “I shudder to think where we would be without UAB.”

Featheringill and his wife, Carolyn, were particularly interested in the growth and success of UAB’s cardiovascular program. The couple created the Featheringill Endowed Chair in Cardiac Arrhythmia Research, and in recent years pledged a significant gift to the new UAB Comprehensive Cardiovascular Center. Their contributions support collaborative, cutting-edge research in basic, clinical, demographics, and transformational cardiovascular science—a fitting legacy for Bill Featheringill, who was a key contributor to Birmingham’s rise as a health-care capital.

The Birmingham native, who earned degrees in mechanical engineering, law, and business administration, spent his career in Birmingham’s health-care industry. As co-founder and president of Private Capital Corporation, Featheringill managed successful firms including Complete Health, which became Alabama’s largest HMO, and Macess Corporation, an information management company. He also served as chairman of SuccessEHS and Momentum Business Solutions; director of Southern Research Institute; and a member of the boards of Altec Industries, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, and Citation Corporation.

Beyond the boardroom, Featheringill worked to improve his hometown by serving on the executive committee of the Campaign for UAB, the board of directors of the Birmingham Museum of Art, and the Birmingham Rotary Club. He also was chairman of the board for The Featheringill Foundation. Among the awards he received were CIO Magazine’s Enterprise Integration Award and the Birmingham Venture Club’s first Investor of the Year Award.