Dr. William Brace 79, professor of library and information science at Rosary College–now Dominican University in River Forest–died on Wednesday, Oct. 1, an apparent heart attack. He had taught Library and Information sciences for nearly four decades.
The first time Dr. William Brace met his future wife, she darn near killed him. As the story goes, the two were graduate students at the University of Chicago in the early 1950s, when one day they found themselves sitting next to each other in class.
“That was back in the day when you’d light up a cigarette right at your desk,” recalled his wife of 51 years, Pam. “I was smoking Pall Malls, which he was deathly allergic to, and he began sneezing and coughing uncontrollably. Later he told people, ‘She nearly asphyxiated me, but it at least got me to notice her.’ ”
That same sense of humor, former colleagues say, helped Dr. Brace connect with students over his long career. Obituary from the Chicago Tribune.
Sad to hear
I worked with Bill on a committee some years ago and am sad to hear this. 🙁
Remembering Professor Brace
I just read Bill Brace’s obit, and my condolences to his family. He will be missed. He was witty and well-versed in lots of subjects, and he was a real thorn in my side. He was the professor who taught me government documents – gave me a blank piece of paper and told me to write down the four verses of the national anthem (I had done my assigned homework, and knew there were only three verses adopted by Congress). But you know what? I remember him more than any teacher I had at Rosary, and am sad to hear of his passing. Everyone who attended Rosary knew Professor Brace.