Bill Summers, 83, passed away peacefully in Tallahassee, Florida on August 12, 2016. He was born in Jacksonville, Florida on February 8, 1933 to Frank Wesley and Kathleen Gilreath Summers. He is survived by his wife Lorraine of Tallahassee; son William Wesley Summers of Avondale, Arizona; sister Annette Graddy (James) of West Palm Beach, Florida; three nieces and three nephews, and many friends.Bill grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and graduated in 1955 with a BA from Florida State University. He served in the United States Navy in its Taiwan Command from 1955 to 1957. He then attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey earning a MS Degree in Library Science. In 1969, he returned to Rutgers and earned a PhD in Library Studies.
Bill was served a long career in the library sciences and was no stranger to the Tallahassee community. Williams served Florida State as the Dean of the School of Library and Information Sciences, now known as the School of Information. Twice, he served as the interim Library Director for Stormier Library. Williams also served as the State Librarian at the State Library of Florida.
He engaged in research in his field and served as a consultant in the United States and internationally. He served as a member of the Library Board of Trustees for the Leroy Collins Leon County Public library and on the citizens advisory committee for construction of the new downtown public library in his home of Tallahassee, Florida. Among many of his achievements were service as President of the American Library Association; President of the Association for Library and Information Educators; and President of Beta Phi Mu International Honor Society for Library and Information Science.
Among his many honors he was recognized for his achievements with the prestigious Joseph W. Lippincott Award by the American Library Association for a lifetime of extraordinary dedication to the field of librarianship. Rutgers University, College of Library and Information Studies recognized him as an Outstanding Alumnae. He was a member of the Beta Phi Mu Library Science Honorary and ODK Leadership fraternity.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the F. William Summers Professor Endowed Professorship at Florida State University fund at the Florida State University Foundation, 2010 Levy Avenue, P.O. Box 3062739, Tallahassee, Florida 32306.