Bill Meredith and Frank Delmonico, MD, C'66
With great sadness, Mount St. Mary's University announces the death of Professor Emeritus of Biology William “Bill” G. Meredith, Ph.D. A Mount professor and administrator for 41 years, Meredith died July 19 at the Oak Crest Senior Living Community. He was 92 years old.
Born in 1933 and raised on his family’s farm, Meredith learned the value of hard work and maintaining a positive attitude during difficult times while growing up in rural, depression-era Meadowdale, West Virginia. After graduating from East Fairmont High School, he attended Fairmont State College, earning a bachelor’s in science education in 1955 before moving on to West Virginia University, where he was awarded a Master’s in zoology. During this time, he married his high school sweetheart, Betty Jean Hixon. Their marriage lasted for nearly 65 years until Betty Jean’s death in 2020.
While teaching at the Mount, starting in 1957, Meredith earned his Doctorate in ecology from the University of Maryland, College Park. As his university responsibilities increased, he served as chair of the Science Department from 1968-76, associate dean in 1981, and dean of undergraduate studies from 1982-87 and again from 1995-96.
A beloved professor, Meredith taught engaging botany, genetics, ecology and general science courses. He also taught a freshman writing course, which helped inspire his interest in exploring the interdisciplinary connections between science and the humanities, a passion that continues to be celebrated at the 
Mount through the ongoing Meredith-Donovan Lecture Series, named for Meredith and his friend, Professor Emeritus John Donovan, Ph.D., who passed away in 2022
Outside of academia, Meredith was a longstanding member of the Emmitsburg Presbyterian Church, where he held various church offices and delivered children’s sermons. He is also well remembered for his contributions to The Emmitsburg News-Journal and The Emmitsburg Dispatch, where his “The (Retired) Ecologist” column was a fixture for many years. His insightful, eloquent and witty articles showcase the connections between biology, natural history and everyday life, bringing together literary reflections and family anecdotes to evoke a deep sense of wonder at the beauty of nature. In 2023, Morgan Rooney, C’20, and McKenna Snow, C’23, wrote a profile about Meredith, in which he “shared many memories about the beautiful community of the Mount, as well as the unexpected but happy turns of his life as a professor.”
After retirement, Meredith devoted himself to his family and the preservation of its heritage through genealogical research and through the passing down of family skills and traditions, such as planting potatoes with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren on St. Patrick’s Day in celebration of his Irish heritage. Bill was a skilled woodworker, an accomplished artist and musician, a writer and poet, a dedicated birdwatcher, an avid gardener and a gentle advocate of the hope that science and humanity can make the world a better place.
Meredith is survived by three children, Melinda, Michael and Frederick, as well as six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. He was a loving husband, a devoted father, a mentor and role model to his grandchildren and an indefatigable playmate to his great-grandchildren, all of whom will miss his wisdom, sense of humor and fondness for green ice cream.
A memorial service will be held in Emmitsburg at a later date.
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