William Morris Succumbs to Cancer

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By Staff -- School Library Journal, 11/01/2003

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William Morris, who managed library promotion for HarperCollins Children's Books and its predecessor Harper & Row, died September 29 at his home in New York City, less than a week before his 75th birthday. He had been ill with cancer for several months.

Morris, who was born in Eagle Pass, TX, in 1928, was a familiar figure to many fans of children's literature. In 1992, Morris was the first recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Association for Library Services to Children, a division of the American Library Association.

In a 1999 profile in History of Reading News, his colleague, editor Joanna Cotler, wrote, "Bill Morris's great feel for books and his deeply committed relationship to authors make him one of the most important forces in the field of children's publishing."

Children's literature consultant and former school librarian Sharron McElmeel adds, "I was so impressed with Bill's genuine interest in people—no matter who or what they were. I never saw him without a smile."