Former University History Prof. William "Bill" Wright Abbot, III passed away Aug. 31 at the age of 87.
Abbot was a James Madison professor of U.S. colonial history at the University from 1966 until 1992. He also served as chairman of the Corcoran Department of History from 1972 to 1974.
Abbot was best known for his role as chief editor of The Papers of George Washington project, a University grant-funded operation established to publish all 135,000 of the first president's documents by 2017. Abbot oversaw the editing and publication of more than 50 volumes of Washington's letters and documents until 1998.
Abbot "developed an editorial technique that set the standard for the whole profession," said David A. Williams, University associate professor emeritus of early American history.
Williams described Abbot as the best editor at the University, noting that professors and graduate students alike turned to him for editorial advice about articles, books, papers and other documents.
"Bill brought to his editing task a seasoned, literate sense of what a good edition requires: skill, knowledge and tact," History Emeritus Prof. Erik Midelfort stated in a University press release.
In addition to editing, Abbot wrote two books, "The Royal Governors of Georgia, 1754-1775," published in 1959, and "The Colonial Origins of the United States, 1607-1763," published in 1975.
Abbot received his baccalaureate degree from the University of Georgia in 1943. Later that year, he entered the navy and was made Captain of PC 504, a 110-foot submarine chaser, at the age of 22.
After completing his master and doctoral degrees in history at Duke University in 1949 and 1953, respectively, Abbot was invited to teach at William & Mary as an assistant professor of history and serve as the editor-in-chief of the William & Mary Quarterly.
Abbot's University colleagues' admired his character just as much - if not more - as his academic accomplishments.
"He was a gentleman in every sense of the word," Assoc. History Prof. Ronald Dimberg said. "He treated a first-year history student and a senior colleague with the same level of upmost respect."
His wonderful sense of humor and warm personality were reciprocated with incredible respect and admiration, Dimberg said.
Abbot minimized his accomplishments and specifically instructed that no memorial service be held after his passing, History Emeritus Prof. John Israel said.
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