Athletics Hall of Fame
Ray Jacobsen established his long-term relationship with UW-Whitewater in 1971 as a student-athlete participating in the Warhawk football and wrestling programs. He earned his degree in Education in 1976, and after a year of graduate studies he accepted a teaching and coaching position at Brookfield East High School. In 1980, he embarked on a successful career in business and reached a milestone in 1989 as President and CEO of EBI Companies. In 1997, Jacobsen received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the university. He has served as a board member on UW-Whitewater Foundation, Inc. through numerous terms dating back to the 1990's. Jacobsen has maintained his ties with UW-Whitewater, especially with wrestling, his former Coach Wille Myers and his teammates. In collaboration with his teammate and lifelong friend Wade Fletcher, they spearheaded the procurement of the Wrestling Room in 1997, followed by naming of the Willie Myers Family Wrestling Room in 2005. In December of 2021, Jacobsen was honored as the Commencement Speaker at UW-Whitewater's graduation ceremony.
