PETER HERNON

1944 - 2025

HERNON, Peter Passed away, due to Parkinson's, on September 28, 2025, at age 81. He was born in Kansas City, MO on August 31, 1944. After graduating high school in Denver, he earned bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Colorado, followed by a master's in Library Science at the University of Denver. In 1978, Peter earned his PhD. at Indiana University and then joined the faculty at Simmons College (now University) in Boston, MA that same year. During his tenure there, he authored or co-authored more than 350 publications, including 57 books on the subjects of Research Methods, Information Literacy, Library Administration, and Leadership, among others. Peter edited four academic journals and was the founding editor of Government Information Quarterly. He earned many awards throughout his career, including the 1999 Highsmith Award from the American Library Association. Peter conducted workshops and delivered addresses in 12 countries. During a sabbatical year in 1998, Peter taught at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand. Back at Simmons, he was the founding faculty member for the Managerial Leadership doctoral program. Many of his students have achieved high profile positions throughout the country. In 2012, Peter retired as professor emeritus from Simmons. Following retirement, he moved with his wife of 52 years to Walnut Creek, CA. Peter enjoyed walking the neighborhood trails and treasured the family's annual trip to Yosemite National Park. He followed several sports teams, especially the Boston Red Sox. He owned a huge collection of Elvis Presley recordings and enjoyed old western movies and traveling the world with his family. Peter is survived by his wife, Elinor; daughters, Alison and Linsay and Linsay's wife, K.C. In his memory, you can donate to a charity of your choice.

View the online memorial for Peter HERNON