Bill Snider, former Friends Board chair, Dies

Bill Snider, former editor of the Greensboro News & Record, died in late January at his home at Well-Spring. Along with his wife Flo, Bill was a long-time member of the Friends of the UNCG Libraries, and his papers reside in our Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives. A native of Salisbury who came to Greensboro in 1951, Bill was an editor of the Greensboro newspaper during the turbulent 1960s, and together with several others formed a group that his friend and colleague Ned Cline called “the core that held Greensboro together during the civil rights era.” Bill was one of the last of this group to pass away, and he retained his concern and love for the people of Greensboro and of North Carolina long after his retirement from the paper in 1982, writing books and columns in the Sunday edition.
With Bill’s encouragement and support, the News & Record has been a long-time friend of the UNCG Libraries, helping recruit journalists and other speakers for the annual dinner that will celebrate its 53rd year in March. He and Flo attended the Dinner virtually every year as long as his health permitted. Bill served as chair of the Friends of the UNCG Libraries during the 1980s. Former University Librarian Doris Hulbert remembers being a bit in awe of Bill, who “knew everyone.” She recalls that he was “always helpful whenever we asked for his advice, despite the many demands of his job and his many other interests.”
Bill was honored by the North Carolina Library Association in 1963 for his work on behalf of libraries, including the Greensboro Public Library, whose new building he called newspaper readers to support in the late 1950s. “I know of no honor to be more deeply cherished,” the gracious Snider noted in accepting the citation, suggesting that others in the community should have shared the award.
The William D. Snider papers in Jackson Library at UNCG include many clippings of Snider's articles, correspondence, research material for his published works, speeches he delivered, awards, pamphlets, notes, interviews, photos, and drawings of editorial cartoons. Most of the collection dates from 1944-2009.
As Dean of University Libraries Rosann Bazirjian reflected, “The Friends of the UNCG Libraries is grateful for the long-time support of folks like the Sniders, and privileged to make Bill’s papers available to scholars and students. Bill and Flo’s names appear on our Wall of Honor in Jackson Library.”