Ball State Alumni John and Dr. Damita Williams Champion Engagement and Giving

Ball State alumni John Williams and Dr. Damita Williams draw on their experiences in athletics and health to support the University and encourage fellow Cardinals to stay engaged.

John and Dr. Damita Williams’ Ball State stories did not end when they graduated. The husband and wife have been actively engaged with the University for several years.

John Williams, ’82 MA ’86, serves on the Campaign Advisory Council for Ball State’s Our Call to Beneficence capital campaign. Dr. Williams, ’84, has served on the Ball State University Foundation Board of Directors since 2022 and on the University’s Black Alumni Council since 2020. 

Additionally, each of them encourages fellow Cardinal alumni to reestablish or maintain their connections with the University. That encouragement, they said, is an organic part of authentic conversations—never pressure.

Mr. Williams was a three-year captain on the Ball State men’s basketball team and was inducted into the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992. He helped the Cardinals capture their first-ever Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championship and earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 1981. The lessons he learned as a Cardinals student-athlete, as well as in the classroom, made a lasting difference in his life.

“Going to school at Ball State and playing on the basketball team helped me become a better leader,” Mr. Williams explained. “Keeping a relationship with the University is about giving back to an institution I believe in and that believed in me.”

Mr. Williams earned his bachelor of science in physical education and his master of arts in physical education, both programs now offered by the College of Health. He retired in March 2025 from the Big 12 Conference, where he was the vice president of men’s basketball.

Dr. Williams is also inspired by her Ball State experience.

“I wouldn’t be able to do the work I do today if it were not for Ball State. The College of Health’s nursing program played a big part in the realization of my initial dream of becoming a pediatric nurse,” said Dr. Williams, who earned her bachelor of science in nursing. She went on to complete several advanced degrees, including a doctorate in education and organizational leadership from Indiana Wesleyan University. 

Now the national senior director for nursing quality at Ascension, a non-profit health system, Dr. Williams remains inspired by Ball State’s leadership.

“I believe in President Geoffrey Mearns’ vision for, and commitment to, the University,” she said. “I want to see him and the leadership team get as much support from alumni as possible.” 

Note:

There are numerous ways alumni can help Ball State and the next generation of Cardinal students and graduates. Learn more at bsu.edu/giving/getinvolved