Deceased December 30, 2018
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In Memory
World traveler, professor and serious hiker Bill Hanaway died on Dec. 30.
After Amherst, Bill spent four years as an officer in the U.S. Navy (1951 to 1956). In 1957 he earned a master’s degree in Iranian studies. Bill received a master’s from Columbia University in library science in 1959 and worked at the New York Public Library until 1964. In 1979 he earned a Ph.D. in Iranian studies from Columbia University.
He taught at the University of Pennsylvania from 1970 to 1995. He became chairman of Asian studies in 1981.
Bill married Lorraine Kure in 1959, and they lived for many years in Wayne, Pa. The Hanaways had one child, Annie, who is a practicing therapist. During Bill’s career, they lived at various times in Iran, England and Italy. In addition, Bill traveled extensively in Iran, Afghanistan and around the Middle East.
In 1981 Bill was cofounder of American Overseas Research Centers, which create opportunities to bring people together to facilitate change, growing and understanding. This flourishing worldwide organization provides programs and fellowships to visit and carry out research with emphasis in the Middle East and Far East.
Bill and his wife, Lorraine, had many hobbies together. They hiked all over the country, including 1,000 miles on the Appalachian Trail, Glacier Park, the White Mountains and the Green Mountains. They hiked in northern Pakistan as well. Bill was an opera fan and played chess weekly with a friend during his retirement days.
The class extends its sincere sympathy to Lorraine and Annie. We can all agree that Bill had a unique and productive life on his own terms—as usual.
Tom Bushman ’51