University News
William Sanders Obituary
March 22, 2017
MACOMB, IL -- A memorial service for Western Illinois University Art Professor Emeritus William (Bill) Sanders, 89, of Macomb, will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 25 at Dodsworth Piper Wallen Funeral Home in Macomb, with visitation from 10-11 a.m. Sanders passed away March 19.
He joined the WIU art faculty in 1966. Sanders' areas of specialization included art education and two- and three-dimensional design. Two years after joining the faculty, Sanders designed, and supervised the construction, of a commemorative monument in front of Sherman Hall to honor the expansion of campus under then-President Knoblauch. In 1976, Sanders was named the art librarian at the new University Library, and helped to design the interior and coordinate exhibits in the library. He was responsible for more than 1,000 exhibits in the Malpass Library during the building's first decade, and a number of permanent works of art in the University Libraries resulted from Sanders' efforts. From 1988 until his retirement, he also assisted in managing the WIU Art Gallery.
Sanders retired from the University in 1992. He remained an active contributor to the arts at Western, and he and his wife, Jo, have donated numerous works of art and other items to the University, and established the Jo and Bill Sanders Scholarship, as well as a student art purchase fund and an endowment.
In June 2016, Sanders was one of the featured artists on an "Illinois Stories" program focusing on public art projects.
Prior to coming to WIU, he was an associate professor at Miami University in Oxford, OH. He also worked as an instructor and assistant professor at Indiana University. Sanders began his career as an art teacher at Alton (IL) Public Schools in 1950.
He was a member of Phi Delta Kappa and the National Art Education Association. Sanders also served as past president of the McDonough County Art Association and the Macomb Philosophy Club.
Sanders received his Ed.D., and a master's in art from Indiana University-Bloomington, a master's in studio art from the University of Colorado (Greeley) and his bachelor's degree in art education from Washington University in St. Louis. Sanders was a veteran, serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
He is survived by his wife, Jo; one daughter, Rachel; and one grandson.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Western Illinois University Library c/o the WIU Foundation, 303 Sherman Hall (wiu.edu/giving) or the First Baptist Church.
A full obituary and guestbook can be found at www.dodsworthfh.com.
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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