Hanover Mourns Passing of Walt Morrill
The Hanover College community mourns after the passing of Walter Dunlap Morrill, director emeritus of the Duggan Library. He died Monday, Dec. 7, 2020, in Madison, Ind.
Morrill, 84, served as the College’s director of the libraries from 1966-98. He also served as special projects coordinator and interim vice president for development before retiring in 2000.
He was born Jan. 11, 1936, in Pittsburgh, Pa. He attended high school in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, graduating in three years, before earning a bachelor’s degree in English from Monmouth College in 1957. He received a master’s degree in library science (1959) and English (1960) from the University of Illinois.
Before joining Hanover’s staff, Morrill served as a rhetoric instructor at the University of Illinois (1957-59) and was assistant catalog librarian (1959-60) and binding librarian (1960-61) at the University of Illinois Libraries. He was also the college librarian at Muskingum College (1961-65) and assistant director of libraries at Kent State University (1965-66).
Morrill was a member of numerous national, regional and local professional and civic organizations. He served the American Library Association, Indiana Library Federation (former president), Midwest Federation of Library Associations (former president), Executive Committee of Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (director and former president), Indiana State Library Advisory Council (former chairman), Indiana Cooperative Library Services Authority (former board director) and National Advisory Council.
Locally, he held memberships in the Rotary Club (recipient of the Paul Harris Fellow with Rotary International), Madison Area Chamber of Commerce, Jefferson County United Way, Madison Area Salvation Army, Jefferson County Historical Society, Historic Madison, Inc., Jefferson County Friends of the Library (founding president), Southeastern Indiana Small Business Development Center (board member), Jefferson County Cemetery Commission Board, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Jefferson County (board member) and the Madison Jefferson County Public Library Board.
He was listed in “Who’s Who in the Midwest” and was honored by Beta Phi Mu, Sigma Omicron Mu and Phi Delta Kappa organizations. In 1984, he received a special service award from the Indiana Library Association/Indiana Library Trustee Association. In 2016, he was honored with PALNI’s Founders Award for his contributions to the organization.
Morrill was preceded in death by his father, Allen Morrill; mother, Eleanor Dunlap Morrill; wife of 39 years, Marcia Simpson Morrill; stepdaughter, Amy Collins; and daughter-in-law, Diane Morrill.
He is survived by his wife of 23 years, Elaine Pearson Stevian Morrill; son, Allen Morrill and his wife, Susan; son, Matthew Morrill; son, Stephen Morrill, his wife, Sonjia, and stepson, J.D. Stevian; stepson-in-law, Frank Collins; twin sister, Trudy Mitchell and her husband, Dean; sister, Janet Hunter and her husband, Terry; sister-in-law, Diane Gallaher and her husband, David; five grandchildren, four step-grandchildren, four great step-grandchildren and several nieces, nephews and other relatives.
A memorial ceremony, to be held at a later date, will be announced through Morgan & Nay Funeral Centre. Interment will follow in the Hanover Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Hanover College Library Fund or the Marcia S. Morrill Scholarship Fund.
