Illini Couple: Time Tested

The Harrymans (right) at a college dance in 1957; still dancing away in 2021 at their granddaughter’s wedding. (Images courtesy of the Harrymans)
Betty Wold Harryman, ’59 MEDIA, remembers the moment that confirmed that William R. “Bill” Harryman III, ’58 ACES, MEXED ’73, EDD ’86, was the guy for her. They were visiting his family home in Charleston, Ill., and there was her sign. “His parents had the same wallpaper as my mother!” Betty says.
They had met her freshman week at Illinois, when a friend fixed them up for a skating date at the Ice Arena. “I had never been good at ice skating,” Betty says. “Bill didn’t know how to skate very well, either.” They wobbled around the rink, then proceeded to the Union for hot chocolate and to the Quad for a walk. “All through the date, he talked,” she recalls. “He was just so entertaining. He was still talking when curfew came and went. He made me late.”
Study dates ensued and, eventually, finals. Bill was in his second semester of remedial rhetoric. “I majored in remedial rhetoric,” he says, joking. Quips aside, he struggled with composition and now faced writing a final theme in class. “He brought over his last theme, and I tore it apart,” Betty recalls. “We practically rewrote it,” Bill says. “We did rewrite it,” Betty reminds him. “The next day in class, one of the exam topics was the same as that theme. He was able to use what we had practiced.”
They married in 1960 and landed in Taylorville, Ill., where Bill began a 36-year career with U of I Extension. Betty became a Welcome Wagon lady. His Extension responsibilities changed from soil conservation to agricultural economics. She rose to Welcome Wagon field manager, and then went to work for Sangamon State University (now UIS). He got two more degrees from Illinois.
Their daughters—Wendy Sue Harryman Ayers, ’85 ED, and Sally Ann Harryman Mueller, ’87 ACES—became Illini. Life in Taylorville flowed into a retirement full of trains. The couple has traveled the world on excursions with a train club, visiting Canada, Europe and Great Britain. They’ve also visited Scandinavia because Betty has family ties there.
“My parents put me in my 1951 Jeep station wagon one fall day and said, ‘The University’s up that road. Have fun,’” Bill says. “We’ve gotten to places and had experiences I never would have dreamed we would.” Adds Betty, “I’m glad I trusted a blind date.”
If you found true love at Illinois, we’d love to know! Email us at IllinoisAlumni@uillinois.edu.