Remembering Bill Hamilton
TechSmith Corporation founder, Bill Hamilton, was a visionary leader whose innovations, community contributions, and commitment to his team created a lasting impact on East Lansing and beyond.
L-R: Randy Cowen, Bill Hamilton, and David Washburn at the grand opening of TechSmith’s new headquarters in East Lansing, September 2022.
Written by David Washburn, Chief Executive Officer of the MSU Research Foundation.
(Dec. 19, 2024)
We lost a tech pioneer this week.
A few days ago, I learned of the passing of Bill Hamilton, founder and chairman of the board of East Lansing-based TechSmith Corporation, and a friend of the MSU Research Foundation.
Bill was a Michigan State University computer science graduate and spent the early part of his career building medical information systems. He founded TechSmith Corporation in 1987, initially focusing on setting up computer systems and networks for clients.
As Microsoft Windows went mainstream in the early 1990s, Bill realized that businesses no longer needed to hire consultants to set up their systems. He made the bold decision to shift TechSmith from a services company to a product company, launching the screen capture tool SnagIt in 1991.
SnagIt turned TechSmith into a global products company, now with over 80 million customers worldwide. Over time, the company introduced new products such as Camtasia, Relay, Morae, and Screencast.
As TechSmith grew in the 1990s and 2000s, the company needed new space and began working on a world headquarters. Announced in April of 2007, the facility was slated to be located in the University Corporate Research Park near Michigan State’s campus.
The timing couldn’t have been worse, as shortly thereafter, the great financial crisis unfolded before our eyes. Bill decided to pause the headquarters project.
When I first met Bill in 2014, he told me that he called off the project because it was more important that he use their resources to ensure that not one individual at the company would be laid off during the economic crisis. That decision spoke volumes about his values.
Years later, we were fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Bill and his daughter, Wendy Hamilton, now the CEO of TechSmith, to revisit the headquarters conversation. We were excited to join them when they opened the doors of their new facility in September of 2022.
It’s been an honor to be part of TechSmith’s journey. Not only do they build great products, they are also deeply embedded in the community. They sponsor programs at Michigan State, raise funds for the Children’s Miracle Network, support small businesses, mentor students in STEM fields, and generously help build out the innovation ecosystem in greater Lansing.
Bill Hamilton built a lasting legacy in East Lansing and mid-Michigan. His impact will be felt for generations to come.