William S. Boyd and The Boyd Foundation

William S. Boyd co-founded Boyd Gaming Corporation in 1974 with his father, Sam Boyd. A practicing attorney for 15 years, he turned his attention to gaming full-time in 1975, and has since developed and operated Boyd Gaming properties in major markets throughout the United States.

A resident of Las Vegas since 1941, Bill is also an avid community supporter, and has shared his philanthropy with UNLV. He is a member of the UNLV Foundation Board of Trustees and an honorary co-chair of UNLV’s comprehensive fundraising campaign, Invent the Future.

Bill Boyd and The Boyd Foundation have been long-time supporters of the university, and in 1997 Bill provided the initial gift for the creation of the William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV. Subsequent to that, he made an additional gift to secure the future of the school. The Boyd School of Law gives students the opportunity to work with the community through legal clinics, externships, and moot court activities that give them the experience they need to be successful scholars and practitioners.

Bill’s leadership and continued generosity have helped the law school and its programs become a nationally-ranked program providing outstanding academic opportunities and practical experience for its students.

In 2009, Bill Boyd and The Boyd Foundation were honored as Diamond members of the Palladium Society, or donors who have contributed a cumulative of $10 million or more to UNLV.