Dr. William E. Akin

Dr. William E. Akin, former Academic Vice President of Ursinus College 1979-1996, historian, baseball historian, beloved husband, father, and friend, died on June 26, 2025, at age 88. He is survived by his wife K. Elizabeth Akin; a daughter Lynn S. Akin; stepchildren, Adana Brauer and Denton Covert III (Jacqui); grand children, Sydney and Chloe Brauer, Brenden and Griffen (Alana) Covert. He was predeceased by a son, William Jr.. Dr. Akin was born in rural Alabama, the son of Emily Williams Akin Smith and W. D. Akin. He received his BA and MA from the University of Maryland, his PhD from the University of Rochester, and an honorary doctorate degree from Tohoku Gakuin University, Sendai, Japan. He served 2 years in the US Army. His book, Technocracy and the American Dream, was recently cited in a Jill Lapore NYT op ed column as "the definitive historical study of the movement." His major love was baseball, and he contributed many articles to periodicals as well as authored 3 books on the subject. His professional career included administrative positions at Loyola College and Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, during the 1970s. While at Ursinus, he served on the editorial boards of Pennsylvania Folklife Magazine and Small College Creativity. He also served on the boards of Pennsylvania Historic Preservation and Preservation Pennsylvania. Having stepped down as Academic Vice President at Ursinus, he continued to serve the College as Athletic Director for 5 years. A Celebration of Life will be held at First Methodist Church, Phoenixville, PA, on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, visitation at 10:00 AM and, service at 11:00 AM. Memorial contributions can be made to Ursinus College, First Methodist Church of Phoenixville, or the University of Maryland.