William (Bill) Burns - Inducted 2024

Bill Burns collaborated with South Dakota amateur boxing clubs from 1970 to 1980, establishing a state program that provided training and advancement opportunities for athletes, coaches, and officials. As state chair, he expanded the program from 11 to 26 clubs and increased athlete participation from 150 to nearly 500. The program began regularly advancing participants to national AAU, Golden Gloves, PAL, Interservice tournaments, and USA dual team matches.

Under Burns’s leadership, national and international boxing standards were implemented. Boxers were registered and insured, medical personnel were included in sanctioned matches, and coaches and officials underwent clinics and exams. The program was removed from State Athletic Commission control, and a state ranking system and interstate dual team matches were introduced. Burns’s influence in the world of amateur boxing extended far beyond South Dakota. His national impact was evident in his AAU Board of Directors role, where he oversaw 33 Olympic sports. His most significant contribution, however, was his pivotal role in creating USA Boxing, the national governing body for amateur boxing.

Originally from Eau Claire, WI, Burns made significant contributions to amateur boxing while stationed at Ellsworth AFB, attending USD graduate school, and managing local trade associations. He later chaired the national Junior Olympic boxing program and managed USA teams against Poland and East Germany. He cast the sole vote against the 1980 Olympic Games boycott and served as assistant boxing director at the 1986 World Cup Championships.

Burns retired as CEO of a national trade association and now lives with his wife, Bonnie, in Sun City West, AZ.