Duncan Wall ’55

Duncan Wall, 84, a retired librarian, died Jan. 9, 2018. He was a member of Delta Upsilon and received his degree with honors and with distinction in English. After receiving a master’s degree in library science from Columbia University, he began a long and distinguished career as a librarian at public and university libraries. A leader in the transformation of library science through technology, he developed a unique expertise in planning and developing user-friendly library buildings, and in taking cataloguing systems online. He also honored obscure library history, writing about the library innovations of Maria Mitchell, better known as a professional astronomer. In 1967 he and his family moved to Ontario, Canada, where he integrated the province’s university libraries into a single system. An advocate of reproductive health information, while director of the library at Kent State University he founded a free clinic for students to access reproductive health services. A baseball fan and former player at Wesleyan, he was also known for his prodigious newspaper reading each day. Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Carol Carter Wall; three children, including Suzanne L. Wall ’80; several grandchildren; his sister; and his half brother.