Alumnus of the Year 2014
William Stephen Hardin, MD, graduated from Orland High School as the co-valedictorian of the class of 1971. After graduation he attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Bill always wanted to be a doctor but with quota changes in the 70’s he seemed to fall through the cracks.
Dr. Harden spent nearly a year in Antarctica helping to build a Geodesic Dome for a Naval research facility. He also spent a couple summers working on crab and shrimp boats in Alaska. Always the giving person, Bill spent nearly six years in Guatemala as a volunteer helping to rebuild homes and even brought a Guatemalan family to the United States to visit so they could see our country.
After this, Bill joined the Peace Corps and worked in Paraguay helping to domesticate African bees. This is where he met his lovely wife, Clara. When Bill was done with the Peace Corps he came back to Orland but ended up in Indio where he worked as an Ag Advisor.
At the age of 32, Bill applied to medical school again, and this time was accepted. He graduated from the Medical School Residency Program in Redding, CA and is a general practitioner in the area. In September, Dr. Harden’s middle daughter Rachel and her husband Tollen both joined the medical practice in Redding. His other two daughters, Sandy and Janel, graduated in December 2014 with Masters Degrees in Nursing.
