William Stanley Hoole


William Stanley Hoole, also known as W. Stanley Hoole, was an American historian, librarian, author, editor, publisher, and educator. He worked at the University of Alabama where he served as the dean emeritus of university libraries, and professor emeritus of library service. Hoole's scholarly work was focused in Southern history, the Alabama Confederacy, and the history of the University of Alabama; additionally he created the Confederate Publishing Company. He sometimes used the pen name Will Stanley.

Early life and education

William Stanley Hoole was born on May 16, 1903, in Darlington, South Carolina. His parents were Mary "Minnie" Eva and William Brunson Hoole.
On August 2, 1931, he married Martha Anne Sanders, and had children. After the death of his first wife, his second marriage was in 1970 to Addie Foster Shirley Coleman.
Hoole graduated Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He received a doctorate degree in 1934 from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. He continued his studies and graduated from North Texas State University in Denton, Texas.
He was a Fulbright scholar in England, where he studied the CSS Alabama. He received honorary degrees from Wofford College ; University of Alabama ; and Francis Marion College.

Career

Hoole worked as a teacher at Spartanburg High School in Spartanburg, South Carolina from 1924 until 1925, and Darlington High School in Darlington, South Carolina from 1927 until 1931.
He worked at Birmingham Southern College a private liberal arts college in Birmingham, Alabama as a professor from 1934 until 1935, and as a librarian from 1935 until 1937. This was followed by work as a librarian at Baylor University in Waco, Texas from 1937 to 1939.
Hoole served as the director of libraries at North Texas State University in Denton, Texas from 1939 until 1944; while he attended the school as a student.
He was a founding member of the Alabama Historical Association when it was established in 1947, and served as editor of its journal, The Alabama Review, from 1948 to 1967.
Hoole worked at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, as the dean of libraries, from 1944 until 1971; as a professor of librarianship, from 1971 until 1973; and as dean emeritus of university libraries and professor emeritus of library service after his retirement in 1973. During his time at UA, Hoole turned a six libraries system into a single library system, he was able to secured academic status for library staff, and he established new libraries. His work at the library led to the university library's membership in the Association of Research Libraries.
After his retirement from UA, Hoole focused on publishing books and created his own publishing company, Confederate Publishing Company.

Death and legacy

Hoole died on December 12, 1990, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He was buried at Grove Hill Cemetery in Darlington, South Carolina.
The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa has the W.S. Hoole Special Collections Library named in his honor ; which holds a collection of rare books. The collection includes media on the subject of the State of Alabama, and media related to the university's activities and history.

Publications