Merle Boylan, 92, of Bellevue, passed away peacefully October 10, 2017.
Born in 1925 in Youngstown, Ohio to Merle and Alma Boylan, Merle spent a long and distinguished career organizing the information world after he obtained his Master’s Degree in Library Science at Carnegie-Mellon University in 1956. His positions included a tenure at the University of California Lawrence Radiation Laboratory in Livermore, and at the NASA Ames Research Center. He then changed professional directions and served in positions as director of three major academic research libraries: the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; the University of Texas, Austin; and from 1976 until his retirement in 1988, at the University of Washington, Seattle. His vision and focused skills transformed the UW Libraries and its staff into a vibrant organization that embraced emerging technologies, thus providing a platform from which the UW Libraries could soar to national eminence in coming decades.
Although thoroughly dedicated to his profession, mentoring many academic librarians along the way, Merle also enjoyed outside interests particularly in classical music, birds and animals, science, and gardening.
Merle leaves behind dear friends and neighbors who cherished his friendship and presence and who feel his loss deeply.
At his request there will be no memorial service.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Merle’s name may be made to:
Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission
PO Box 202
Seattle, WA 98111-0202
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