US fishing legend honoured by hometown university

One of the true legends of fishing in the U.S. has been honoured by his hometown university.

At a ceremony at Neyland Stadium – the 104,000-seater home of the Tennessee Volunteers – Bill Dance was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Tennessee’s Herbert College of Agriculture. The presentation was made by its Chancellor, Donde Plowman.

The ceremony was attended by Dance’s family (pictured above) and friends from within the industry, including Bass Pro Shops founder, Johnny Morris (below). “The university does not give out many honorary doctorates, said Ben West of the UT Foundation. “But Bill Dance is a Tennessee icon. He’s the type of person the university wants to honour.”

Before retiring from competitive bass fishing in 1980, Dance received a myriad of honours, including three-time Angler of the Year from the Bass Sportsman Society and seven sports hall of fame inductions.

The 80-year-old is also an accomplished television presenter and hosts Bill Dance Outdoors on the Outdoor Channel and Bill Dance Saltwater on the Sportsman Channel.