| 2. |  Dr. William Hall "Bill" James  (1.May1) was born on 20 Jul 1910 in North Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island; died on 19 Aug 2014 in North Branford, New Haven County, Connecticut; was buried on 23 Aug 2014 in Northford New Cemetery, Northford, New Haven County, Connecticut. Other Events:
- Group: Descendant of Revolutionary War Veteran
- Group: Halls of Portsmouth, RI - DNA Family 015
- FindaGrave Memorial ID: 134992255
- 1920 Census: 5 Jan 1920, Troy Township, Oakland County, Michigan
- Census: 15 Apr 1925, Cranston, Providence County, Rhode Island; 1925 Rhode Island State
- World War II Draft Registration: 16 Oct 1940, New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut
- Obituary: Aft 19 Aug 2014
Notes:
Group:
DAR or SAR Eligible Descendant of a Revolutionary War Veteran
Group:
Descendants of William Hall of Portsmouth, Rhode Island
FindaGrave Memorial ID:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/134992255
1920 Census:
ED 204, sheet 2A
James, May Head F W 30 Md RI RI NY Farmer - General
---, Wm. H. Son M W 9 S RI RI RI
---, Lucy N Dau F W 3 4/12 S MI RI RI
Census:
Ward 3, VD 1, ED 99, p. 5
22 Western Avenue
Hall, Thomas W. Head M W 31 Rhode Island
James, May H. Sister F W 36 Rhode Island
---, William H. Nephew M W 15 Rhode Island
Hall, Lucy M. Mother F W 66 New York
Merrill, Mary A GMother F W 88 England Al
World War II Draft Registration:
Ancestry.com. U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
Name: William Hall James
Race: White
Age: 30
Relationship to Draftee: Self (Head)
Birth Place: North Providence, Rhode Island, USA
Birth Date: 20 Jul 1910
Residence Place: 70 Howe St., New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Registration Date: 16 Oct 1940
Employer: Town Of Easton
Weight: 140
Complexion: Light
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown
Height: 5 6
Next of Kin: Mrs. May Hall James, Mother
Obituary:
NORTH BRANFORD -- Dr. William "Bill" H. James, 104, of North Branford, Conn., died peacefully on Aug. 19. Blessed with long life, good health, and a strong work ethic, William was possibly Connecticut's oldest military veteran, serving in May this year as Grand Marshal of his town's Memorial Day events, at which he gave a speech. He leaves a record of accomplishment, drive, intelligence, and widespread friends and affiliations.
Born in 1910 to John and May James, William came of pioneer stock and spent his childhood on rural farms. Starting in the 1920's, he and his mother traveled to Europe where each pursued educational opportunities, with William studying at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, before returning to the U.S. to attend and graduate from Brown University in 1933.
William held a variety of jobs before, during and after college. He began his professional career during the Depression, working as a public school teacher in New Canaan, Conn. Three years later he switched to the school system in Easton, Conn., where he began as a teaching principal in 1936 and advanced to increasing responsibility until interrupted by WWII, for which he volunteered and served in the Air Force (chiefly in India, China, and on Tinian Island), ultimately retiring as a major. Returning home after WWII, William resumed his work with the Easton schools while using the GI Bill to obtain his Masters and Ph.D. degrees from Yale University.
William also married after the war, taking as his bride in 1950 the former Virginia Stowell of New Britain, Conn., daughter of Austin and Doris Stowell of that city. Promoted to superintendent of schools for Easton in 1953, William in 1958 relocated to the larger school system of Branford, Conn. to become superintendent of schools there. It was at this time that he, Virginia, and their daughter Hillery moved to Northford, Conn. where Hillery attended public schools and Virginia taught in the Wallingford school system.
In 1966 William became an associate director of the Connecticut Commission for Higher Education, from which he retired in 1977. He had also begun part-time college teaching in 1949 and continued until 1993 as an adjunct professor for several universities. A long-time writer, William wrote newspaper columns during the 1930's, writing about political and economic affairs, and he is the author of several books: "The Monetarists and the Current Crisis" (1975), "The Monetarists and the Continuing Crisis" (1997) and "The Monetarists and the Evolving Crisis: Wake Up, Americans, We are Losing our Great Nation" (2011). From 2011 forward, William published occasional commentaries on public affairs.
Besides writing, William stayed active with educational organization, Rotary International, the SAR (Sons of the American Revolution), the American Legion, and the VFW, among others. He was also an avid follower of local, national, and world events, enjoying several newspapers each day.
In addition to his work and writing, William enjoyed small-town America and invariably became "Bill" during his many decades of visiting Lyme, Conn., Halifax, Vt., or New Harbor, Maine. Some of his greatest pleasures were talking with friends, meeting new people, telling stories, working outdoors, or enjoying nature and wildlife.
Well remembering his own struggles with early poverty, the chaotic '20s, the Depression, and WWII, Bill was sympathetic to those who struggle against forces larger than themselves; at the same time, he was a strong advocate of hard work and continuous self-improvement, believing that such effort gave any individual his or her best chance for a good life.
William was predeceased by his sister, Lucy Merrill James; father, John James; grandson, Yoni Chung; and mother, Dr. May Hall James, who became a prominent Connecticut educator, author of "The Educational History of Old Lyme Connecticut 1635-1935," and a former Dean at Quinnipiac College (now Quinnipiac University).
William is survived by his wife, Dr. Virginia James of North Branford, Conn.; daughter, Hillery and son-in-law Chris Chung of New Smyrna Beach, Fla.; and grandson, Doron Chung of Sanford, Fla.; and numerous former students, associates, neighbors, and extended family members in multiple communities.
Family and friends are invited to go directly to the Northford Congregational Church at 10 a.m., Sat., Aug. 23 to attend a funeral service and are also invited to attend the committal services immediately following with full military honors in Northford Cemetery. The visiting hours will be from 4-7 p.m., Fri., Aug. 22 at the North Haven Funeral Home, 36 Washington Ave., North Haven, Conn.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to either the Northford Congregational Church Steeple Fund, Old Post Rd., Northford, CT 06472 or the Maine Sea Coast Mission Society (http://www.seacoastmission.org/).
Arrangements are made by North Haven Funeral Home, North Haven, Conn., http://northhavenfuneral.com/
William married Dr. Virginia Leslie Stowell in 1950. Virginia (daughter of Austin Leavitt Stowell and Doris Carolyn Hillery) was born on 9 Jul 1926 in Connecticut; died in Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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1889 - 1972 (82 years)
