William Glenn Meredith

05/16/1933 - 07/19/2025

On July 19, 2025, William "Bill" G. Meredith, Ph.D., Mount St. Mary's University Professor Emeritus of Biology, passed away at age 92. Born in 1933 in rural Meadowdale, West Virginia, Bill grew up on his family's farm, an experience which inspired his deep love of nature and taught him the value of hard work. A beloved teacher and administrator whose career at the Mount spanned over 40 years, Bill held a bachelor's degree in science education from Fairmont State College, a master's degree in zoology from West Virginia University and a Ph.D. in ecology from the University of Maryland, College Park.

In 1955, Bill married his high school sweetheart, Betty Jean Hixon of Fairmount, West Virginia, and two years later, he and his family moved to Emmitsburg, Maryland. There, he began teaching at Mount St. Mary's University, where he went on to serve as Chairman of the Science Department from 1968-97, Associate Dean in 1980, and Dean of Undergraduate Studies from 1981-87 and 1995-96 before retiring in 1997. In addition to teaching engaging science courses, Bill also taught writing. His enduring passion for exploring the connections between science and the humanities continues to be celebrated through the Mount's Meredith-Donovan Lecture Series.

Beyond academia, Bill was a longtime member of the Emmitsburg Presbyterian Church and an eloquent and witty contributor to The Emmitsburg News-Journal and The Emmitsburg Dispatch, where his "The (Retired) Ecologist" column was a fixture for many years. Bill was also a skilled woodworker, an accomplished artist, musician and poet, and a dedicated birdwatcher and gardener. He was preceded in death by Betty Jean, his wife of nearly 65 years, and is survived by three children, six grandchildren and seven great grandchildren, all of whom will miss his wisdom, good humor and fondness for green ice cream. Service private.