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IN MEMORIAM
BILL D. FRANCIS
Bill D. Francis, Leslie Waggener Professor
Emeritus in Fine Arts, died on July 13, 2000.
Bill Francis was born in Salem, Illinois,
on October 14, 1929. He received a BS in art education from Illinois
State University in 1951, and an MS in applied art from the University
of Wisconsin in 1952. Bill was a candidate for a doctoral degree in
art education at Indiana University.
Prior to his teaching career at The
University of Texas at Austin, Bill taught at William Horlick High School
in Racine, Wisconsin, Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and Indiana
University in Bloomington, Indiana. He was also principal for a comparative
cultures program for the Foreign Studies League in Western Europe. In
1960, Bill joined the faculty of the Department of Art and Art History
at UT Austin to teach studio and art education courses.
In addition to being a very popular
teacher, Bill Francis was chairman of the Graduate Studies Committee,
graduate advisor, and acting chairman for the Department of Art and
Art History; acting and associate dean of the College of Fine Arts;
and secretary of the General Faculty.
Professionally, Francis was an active
participant in the Texas, Western, and National Art Education Associations.
From 1971 to 1973 Bill was president of the Texas Art Education Association.
Many art, social studies, and humanities teachers used Bill’s book,
The Humanities in Retrospect–Cross Comparison of Cultures from
1100 to 1972, published by Kendall/Hunt in 1974. He exhibited his
fabric designs and drawings in many shows throughout the U.S.
Francis retired from The University
of Texas at Austin in 1993 as the Leslie Waggener Professor Emeritus
in the College of Fine Arts. In "retirement," Bill continued
to produce and exhibit his Prismacolor drawings and frequently visited
with friends and colleagues at the University. The Bill D. Francis Endowed
Scholarship in Visual Art Studies and Art Education was established
on January 1, 1998.
Students and colleagues frequently remarked
about Professor Francis’s love of the University, including its
performing arts facilities, museums, students, and sports. Bill loved
to teach his art education and drawing for non-art majors classes, and
he kept in close contact with many colleagues through his professional
associations. Bill was an excellent model for the many students he inspired.
<signed>
Larry R. Faulkner,
President
The University of Texas at Austin
<signed>
John R. Durbin, Secretary
The General Faculty
This memorial resolution was prepared by a special committee consisting
of Professors Jarvis Ulbricht (chair), Rebecca Brooks, and Lee Chesney.
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