Play Meter

GUEST COMMENTARY
A tribute to
Bill O'Donnell
BY LOUIS
BOASBERG
WT O'Donnell, Sr.
[Editor's note: In 1945, after his discharge from the US. Marine Corps, WT. "Bill" O'Donnell, Sr., went to work
in the purchasing department of Bally Manufacturing.
He later became sales manager and a member of the board of directors. In 1962 he headed a group of investors
that purchased the company. Under O'Donnell's direction, the company entered the arcade-game business in 1969. He
was chairman and president of Bally until retiring in 1979.
O'Donnell was honored for his civic, educational, and charitable work, particularly his efforts to raise money for
Israel, qt a 1976 testimonial dinner co-sponsored by the amusement machine industry and State of Israel Bonds. He
was presented with the Prime Minister of Israel Medal at the event.
O'Donnell was described in a May, 1976 Play Meter article as "an old-shoe kind of guy in Guccis. "]
W
hen Play Meter's publisher, Carol Lally,
asked me to write about my close
friend of many years Bill O'Donnell,
who will be honored at the ACME
show in March, I told her I could
write an article about his accomplishments, but it would
probably be longer than War and Peace. Carol confined
me to one page, however, so here goes.
Perhaps some of this has been written before, but
because of my admiration and respect for this man, it
will still serve its purpose: to introduce W.T. "Bill"
O'Donnell, Sr.
During all my years in the coin-machine business, I
have been exposed to some truly great men, but I can
say in without hesitation that the greatest of all is Bill
O'Donnell.
•
Bill has enough worldly weaknesses to make him a
real human being like the rest of us. But he has all the
spiritual values of love for his fellow man, kindness,
gentleness, faith, generosity, understanding, cheerfulness,
enthusiasm, and everything else that reflects the true
teaching and philosophy of the Sermon on the Mount.
I do not believe I am alone in my opinion of Bill
O'Donnell. I believe that if you asked past and present
Bally employees, his friends and business associates, and
anyone who has known him any length of time, they
122 PlAY METER/October 1986
would say that they do not Like Bill, they love him!
Even those not close to Bill know about his many
philanthropic deeds that, while never carried on his coat
sleeve, would fill an ordinary book. He is a Living
example of the belief that we only keep that which we
give.
I compare O'Donnell with such men as Gandhi, Martin
Luther King, and Abraham Lincoln in that he has strived
to do good for his fellow man while faced with intense
adversity throughout his life.
Under O'Donnell's guidance, Bally achieved greater
success than ever before. But for Bally to achieve that
success, O'Donnell had to suffer and wear a crown of
thorns not once, but many times.
Today Bally is bigger and better than ever. But there
is no one who would not admit that Bill O'Donnell built
the foundation upon which this great corporation rests.
I don't know of anyone in past, present, or future of
the coin-machine industry who would draw more people
to ew Orleans in March than Bill O'Donnell. And
everyone that comes to pay homage to Bill will be his
friend, as this man has no enemies.
He is retired now, but as long as there is a
coin-machine industry, Bill O'Donnell will be remembered.
[Editor's note: Louis Boasberg of New Orleans Novelty
Co. is an operator and distributor.]