For the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial, he completed a corporate commission of a dozen paintings, three of which appeared in Smithsonian magazine's coverage of the Expedition.

His paintings, known for their authenticity, are found in private as well as corporate art collections across the country and some have been selected for display by the U.S. State Department in American embassies abroad.

Bill and attended the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, California, graduating in 1959 after studying illustration.

[1] In May 1954, Hagel married Kalispell native Ethel Irene Houston who would die young at age 31 on November 28, 1967, in Ferndale, Michigan, due to a brain tumor.

His Trapper with Bull Boat (2010), a 30x40 inch oil on canvas, sold in 2010 for $14,040 at the Coeur d'Alene Art Auction.

His hobbies included bird hunting and trout fishing, and he was an avid golfer as a member of Buffalo Hill Golf Club.