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| IN MEMORIAM |
 Bill Randall (August 16, 1999)Excerpted from the Spring 1999 issue of NAI News It is my sad duty to report to you the passing of a colleague and my uncle, Dr. William E. Randall, Jr., Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts. Dr. Randall retired in 1987 after serving as chair of the Nature Recreation Dept., which became the Leisure Studies and Resources Program in the Dept. of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning. He served as chair from 1954 to 1976, and program director from 1977 to 1987. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a Ph.D. in ecology in 1952 and taught for two years at the University of Illinois before returning to UMass, where he had earned his B.S. in nature recreation after serving in the Army during World War II. Dr. Randall died of a heart attack on April 16, 1999, at a hospital in Northampton, Mass. He is survived by his wife, Peg, and two daughters, Ginger and Laurel. He was buried on April 21 in Shutesbury, Mass., about a mile from the home he lived in for 44 years. On a personal note, Uncle Bill was the person who opened my eyes to our profession, was a great advisor on the complexities of academia, and never failed to impress me with his knowledge of our profession and New England natural history. I will miss him a lot. —Dr. Steve Holland |
| We lost an elder of the Tribe in April. His familiar
booming voice and infectious laughter will be sorely missed at our
future gatherings. Most of all, we will miss his undoubted positive
attitude toward life. I first met Bill Randall in 1986 as a fellow member of the Association of Interpretive Naturalists Board of Directors. I discovered that he was a wonderful historian, naturalist, and teacher. Bill touched countless hearts in his lifetime, and none of us will allow him to leave our memories. He certainly touched my heart. I will miss my friend and colleague. Ours thoughts and prayers go to Bill’s wife, Peg and family. —Cem M. Basman, NAI President |
| It was only a few years ago that I took up my
pen (probably
my keyboard) to write
a tribute to Richard Baldauf, stating, “A big tree is down…who will
hold the sky up, now that the big tree is down?” Upon hearing of Bill Randall’s
death, my first thought was “another big tree [in interpretation] is down.” Dr.
William E. Randall, Jr. truly has been one of interpretation’s “big
trees,” one that pushed hard toward the sun to spread its branches in growth,
then used the branches to shelter, protect, and nurture the many seedlings [the
students, the ideas, the stories] growing under its canopy. Bill nurtured us
and left us an incredible legacy…in stories, actions, commitment, and caring. My first recollection of Bill is as an imposing presence, sitting on stage as one of the Association of Interpretive Naturalists board members—probably serving as vice-president at that time—during the annual business meeting, addressing an auditorium full of interpreters about the challenging issues of the time. I was a new graduate student, new to interpretation, and attending my first AIN National Workshop. I was in awe of those professionals—of their knowledge, their leadership, and vision. Bill, with his large frame, dark a glass, aura of confidence, and extensive knowledge, was particularly memorable, and, to me, a wee bit daunting. How would I ever learn so much? How would I ever be worthy to work with such incredible people? Little did I know that our paths would cross again several years later. In 1988, I was hired into the Leisure Studies and Recreation Program at the University of Massachusetts…to take Bill Randall’s job slot—but never, in a million years, to take his place. Upon my arrival, Bill took me on a tour of the Connecticut River Valley. We started early in he morning, popping into every nook and cranny and sacred place of the valley. Always there were stories—about the area’s history, flora, fauna, the culture of it’s residents, and the management challenges facing resource management and interpreters. We looked at majestic New England vistas and peered at trillium; we tromped up Mt. Sugerloaf and toured Quabbin Reservation; we even pulled his monster car off road to explore some dinosaur tracks preserved in sedimentary rock. At 11 p.m., he was still telling stories, exclaiming over views of the night sky, and telling me the history of the UMass program, and of Capt. Bill who started the Nature Recreation Program in 1937. My brain had been oversaturated hours before. By 11:00, I felt totally inadequate for the job, still in awe (by this time a great bit)…but also warm and welcomed, and definitely knowing that I had been given the gift of trying to carry on a magnificent legacy. It might not be the same way as Bill contributed, but he provided the foundation and the opportunity, then allowed me to fledge, then fly…just as he had for so many hundreds, probably thousands, of students and colleagues before me. In the years I worked at UMass, I heard so many unsolicited testimonies from former students and professional colleagues about Bill, his antics, his stories, his professional contributions, about the infamous “Cape Cod Workshop,” and mostly about the strong professional impact he had on so many people. That is his legacy. Perhaps another “big tree is down,” but that nursery tree has sprouted many seedlings that will continue to grow, share with, and nurture other involved with interpretation and the management of our world’s natural and cultural resources. There is no greater gift than that. —Gail A. Vander Stoep, Michigan State University |
More than a decade ago, I had the honor of
serving as the last president of the Association of Interpretive Naturalists
(AIN) as we forged a consolidation with
the Western Interpreters Association to form the National Association for Interpretation.
Dr. Bill Randall was the vice-president of AIN during that important period.
I had known Bill for many years, but I became well acquainted with him in this
new relationship. I valued his advice and his knowledge of our profession. He
spoke with thoughtful authority about the past and where we were leading our
profession through our actions as board members and leaders. Two years ago, he
came to me with an offer to help build the future of our profession through a
$100,000 bequest to the Legacy Trust Fund. |
| I first met Bill Randall when I was part of the "Staph" for the 1980 Workshop at Cape Cod Sea Camps. Although I went to UMass Amherst, I never stumbled into Dr. Bill's class. It was in the Department of "Leisure Studies" after all, which sounded to me as a specialty of football and basketball players. That omission from my academic record remains one of my greatest regrets. But, Bill Randall did not only teach in the classroom. I learned a great deal from him at regional and national workshops and even an occassional visit to the homestead in Shutesbury. His dedication, enthusiasm, generocity, good humor, and wisdom remain examples for the rest of us. And, thanks to Bill Randall and Bruce McHenry for saving me a lobster, my first, back at that workshop on Cape Cod. —Rick Magee |
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