Dr. Pollard received the BA in mathematics from UT in 1932. He became a member of the Physics Department faculty (1936–47) following receipt of a PhD in physics from Rice University in 1935. In 1944 he became a research scientist at Columbia University for a two-year period, working on the Manhattan Project. He conducted research on the gaseous diffusion method of extracting uranium 235 from common uranium.
Following World War II, Pollard built the necessary federal and academic support (from 14 southern schools) to establish the Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies, which evolved into the Oak Ridge Associated Universities in 1966. Pollard served as acting director of ORINS for one year. He retired from the directorship of Oak Ridge Associated Universities in 1974.
He was ordained in the Episcopal Church in 1954 and served as priest associate at St. Stephens (Oak Ridge). He delivered lectures on the relationship of science and theology and published Chance and Providence and Physicist and Christian, as well as many academic articles and monographs. He was a Fellow of the American Nuclear Society, American Physical Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. During his career, he was the recipient of honorary doctorates in science, divinity, law, and human letters from 12 colleges and universities.
In 1981 ground was broken for the William G. Pollard Auditorium Building at Oak Ridge Associated Universities. The facility was completed in 1982.