William C. Acklin, the youngest of Grafton Acklin's children, was born in 1888 in Toledo Ohio. William attended Central high school before heading to Cornell University where he graduated in 1910 with a liberal arts degree. Following his return to Toledo, William took a position in the Northern National Bank before leaving there and joining his father and brothers in the formation of the Acklin Stamping Company. In the company's management, William was named secretary and treasurer.
When America entered World War I, William enlisted in the armed forces. In May of 1917 he went to First Officer's Training Camp and was commissioned as an Infantry Captain in the 26th Infantry, 1st division. His unit was part of the first expeditionary force to land in France. William participated in many major battles during the war including Cantigny, Soissons, and the battle of the Argonne forest, where was wounded. Through out the course of his duties he received three service stripes, three wound strips and a Purple Heart.
After the war, when General Pershing, commander in chief of the American Expeditionary Forces, visited Toledo and was entertained at the Toledo Club, he singled William out of 125 other vetrans by calling out to him "Hello Acklin- its good to see some of you boys here."
Upon his return from the war William rejoined Acklin, moving up to vice president when his father passed away in 1926. In 1936 his brother James passed away and William was left to run the company.
Unfortunately however, William Acklin passed away in October of 1939. As his obituary stated, "exposure, hardship and wounds suffered in the World War" were "contributing causes of the heart disturbance that caused his death." He was ill for two years before he died, limiting his social and community activities. During these final two years he also had a decreasing involvement in the company's day to day activities. Frank Graper and F. Cyril Greenhill filled in for him, performing much of the day to day decision making, easing the transition of power following his death.
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