Bill Marcil

Notable work and positions

Forum Communications Company - Chairman of the Board
The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead - Publisher (1969-2010)

Biography

William "Bill" C. Marcil is the longtime chairman of Forum Communications Company, the Fargo, North Dakota-based multimedia company built around The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. Born in Rolette, North Dakota, in 1936, he graduated from Sherwood High School and earned a business administration degree from the University of North Dakota in 1958 before serving in the U.S. Army. He joined the newspaper's family business after marrying Jane Black, daughter of then-publisher Norman D. Black Jr. Following Black's sudden death in 1969, the newspaper's board unanimously named Marcil publisher at age 33. Over the following 41 years he expanded Forum Communications from its roots in Fargo, growing it into a company spanning North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin with more than 30 daily and community newspapers alongside broadcasting, interactive media and commercial printing operations. He was the first North Dakotan elected chair of the American Newspaper Publishers Association and also served as chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In 2010, at age 74, Marcil stepped down as publisher of The Forum, handing the role to his son, Bill Marcil Jr., while remaining chairman of the board of Forum Communications Company.

Career highlights

• 41 years as publisher 1969-2010 · Led The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead through the newspaper industry's transition from print-only to multimedia operations.
• American Newspaper Publishers Association · First North Dakotan elected to chair the national association, now the News/Media Alliance.
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce · Served as national chairman of the Chamber's board of directors.