Whether they know it or not, all Arizonans have benefited from Bill Shover’s tireless work and vision. FEB 2021 | 24 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA COVER STORY {by karen werner}

C ivic booster and Fiesta Bowl founder Bill Shover has been making things happen in the Valley for nearly 60 years. “I was a lucky guy,” he said, making light of his accomplishments. “It was the newspaper. I was just a guy doing it for the paper.” His career in newspapers is straight out of central casting. He got his start at 6 years old, selling newspapers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “I learned to make money as a child,” he said, explaining that his Irish Catholic family was short on cash but long on love and had to scramble for whatever they had. It Started with Notre Dame Shover’s affection for college football dates back to 1933, when his father took him to see Notre Dame play. Later, a well-off brother-in-law treated Shover to one game every season. “I saw every Notre Dame team through those years,” he said. Consequently, Shover dreamed of attending Notre Dame, but couldn’t afford it. So he cashed in some of his luck. A high school teacher had taught him typing and got him into the U.S. Army Headquarters Company at Fort Ord in California. After a 13-month stint, Shover used his G.I. benefits to attend Butler University in Indiana, where he majored in journalism. THE LuckY Valley visionary and father of the Fiesta Bowl recalls his fortunate life ONE FRONTDOORS MEDIA | 25 | FEB 2021