William Studer

William J. Studer age 85 passed away Thursday, October 14, 2021. William is survived by his children Joshua (Margaret) Studer and Rachel Studer; sisters in law Carol Millsom, Peggy Studer, and Margaret Lippie; numerous nieces and nephews; and faithful feline companions Gigi and Charlie. Preceded in death by his wife Rosemary (nee Lippie); parents, Victor and Sarah Studer (nee Hammersley); and brothers, Victor Studer and Arnold Studer. Friends and family will be invited to a memorial to celebrate Bill’s life and legacy at a later date.

Bill retired from The Ohio State University in 1999, having been Director of Libraries for 22 years. A native Hoosier, his career started at Indiana University where he earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. On completion of his first IU degree Bill and Rosemary spent a year in Sweden. That experience included visits to other European nations, where they absorbed the ferment of post-war society, and he developed a life-long love of history and international travel. Upon their return, he earned a special appointment at the Library of Congress. He returned to Indiana and conducted research on emerging uses of computer technology to improve service to scholars and students, yielding him invitations to lead seminars at other universities, beginning at Harvard.

As a result of his success as Associate Dean of Libraries for all of IU’s campuses, in 1977 OSU invited Bill to join senior university leadership. The next two decades saw the transformation of an already eminent library. Highly skilled and committed professionals came on board and worked with Bill to create new programs, adapt computing in creative ways, and reshape the buildings that housed the libraries. He was a founder of the network of the libraries for Ohio’s many public universities, attracting interest not only from library leaders in other states but also from abroad.

Those wishing to make a donation in his memory might consider Cat Welfare. http://www.catwelfareassoc.org

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