Dual Allegiances: Parr Has a Special Relationship with Hillsdale, Northwood
Written by Doug Goodnough
Hillsdale College and Northwood University have always had a special relationship. For many years, they were rivals in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and recently reignited that rivalry as members of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
Furthermore, the football programs at both institutions recently created the Pat Riepma Cup—named after longtime Northwood football coach, athletic director, and Hillsdale alum Pat Riepma—given to the game’s annual winner.
Add Brian Parr, ’76, to that relationship. The former Chargers football player came back to work for the College in admissions and fundraising after graduating. It was that experience that helped propel him to a career in higher education, where he served as a fundraiser for more than 30 years at Northwood. Returning to Hillsdale’s campus as part of the 50/60-Year Plus Reunion in April of 2026, Parr said he is grateful for his time at Hillsdale.
“I was planning to go to Hanover College, but Hillsdale came calling and offered a football scholarship,” said Parr, who was a standout prep running back from the Dayton, Ohio, area. “It was a wonderful experience just to be part of that football program. To get to know Muddy [Waters, his head coach for two years] and Jack [McAvoy, his coach the last two years] was awesome.”
A standout high school wrestler, Parr initially decided not to wrestle at Hillsdale. However, he was persuaded by several football teammates to join the team during his junior and senior years.
“The weight loss stuff was just a killer, though,” he said. “We would make our weight the day before the match and were so finely tuned. We knew what we could eat, how much it weighed, and how many ounces [of water] to drink. We would get a cheeseburger. I can still taste it. We knew if we ate a little bit, we would be OK.”
After graduating from Hillsdale with a degree in health and physical education, he accepted a teaching position with Culver Military Academy in Indiana.
“There were five or six of us that got hired at Culver that summer to teach and coach,” Parr said. “I was teaching English with my English minor, and I wasn’t necessarily the scholar I could have been, but it was a wonderful experience.”
Four years later, he decided to return to his alma mater as an assistant admissions director.
“I loved it,” he said. “I had the Detroit territory and learned the business a little bit.”
He eventually was hired as a fundraiser in the College’s development office, where he spent the next two years. During that time, Parr and his wife of 43 years, Betsy Holmes, ’82, got married and started a family.
“I saw my friends who were graduating with business degrees and asked, ‘Am I missing the boat?’” he said. “So, I got a job in medical sales.”
He quickly knew it wasn’t for him.
“I’m selling plastic cups. There were no cell phones. I was putting quarters in pay phones and making calls into Detroit just to get appointments,” he said of sales. “It was not the way I thought business was.”
Fortunately, he had a connection at General Motors Institute and eventually was hired as the alumni relations director. After 11 years at GMI, Parr learned about an open fundraising position at Northwood, where another Hillsdale alumnus, David Fry, ’65, was serving as president. Parr took over as vice president of Advancement and had to build a fundraising team.
“I had never had that responsibility, and having 17 or 18 people on my staff was a learning experience,” he said. “The biggest thing—and what I enjoyed the most—was just building the relationships with our alumni and supporters.”
He remembered some sage advice from McAvoy, who also served as a fundraiser at Hillsdale.
“He told me, ‘You need to make sure you take care of the person you are visiting,’” Parr said. “’And be kind and friendly to the [donor’s] administrative assistant. I always take them gifts when I visit. They can either open or close the door.’”
More than 30 years later, Parr has followed that advice. Retiring from full-time work five years ago, he still works part time as a fundraiser for Northwood. He has remained close to Hillsdale over the years, serving on the Alumni Association Board for 17 years. He still roots for the Chargers—with one exception.
“I want Hillsdale to win every game, except when they play Northwood,” he said. “Only because you know the athletes. You know the coaches. But I want Hillsdale to do well in every way.”
He officiated high school wrestling for more than 30 years and remains an avid fan of college wrestling. Parr also dabbles in golf from time to time.
“I’m proud to be a graduate,” Parr said of Hillsdale. “It’s my foundation. I would not have had the opportunities that I’ve had if I had gone somewhere else.”
Doug Goodnough, ’90, is Hillsdale’s senior director of Alumni Marketing. He enjoys connecting with fellow alumni in new and wonderful ways.
Published in April 2026