William Hall, a marine education specialist, helped organize the Delaware Horseshoe Crab Survey and was involved with it for more than 40 years.

In Memoriam: William R. Hall Jr.

Article by UDaily staff Photos courtesy of the College of Earth, Ocean and Environment December 20, 2022

Campus community remembers long-time marine education specialist

William R. Hall Jr., a marine education specialist for the Delaware Sea Grant Marine Advisory Service at the University of Delaware who promoted science education in the First State for more than 30 years, died Oct. 6, 2022, at his home in Georgetown, Delaware. He was 79.

Dr. Hall joined what is now the University’s College of Earth, Ocean and Environment in 1976 as a Sea Grant agent and retired in 2007. After retirement, he continued to work for the college from 2008-2013. He was involved in several educational organizations, including Delaware Teachers of Science, Science Olympiad and the Sussex County Science Fair. He also helped organize the Delaware Horseshoe Crab Survey and was involved with the survey for more than 40 years.

Colleagues shared reflections on his impact on marine education.

Chris Petrone, director of the Delaware Sea Grant Marine Advisory Service, call Dr. Hall “absolutely one-of-a-kind,” adding, “He never sugar-coated things and told you exactly what was on his mind, but there are few people more committed to educating people about the natural world than Bill was. He was always science-first and wanted everyone to understand the basics of the environment around them. I had the pleasure of assisting Bill several times with his precious horseshoe crab spawning survey at South Bowers Beach — a project he sustained through most of his retirement. We joked and laughed until it was survey time, and for the next hour, he was all business while we collected the important data. Bill continued to be involved in and judge the Sussex County science fair through his retirement — a cause that was near and dear to his heart. He felt every student should be involved in science fair, regardless of their career interests, again, to build a basic understanding of the scientific process. Bill was a colleague, a mentor, a fixture of science education in the state and region, but he was also a good friend. He will be missed, but his legacy lives on in all who learned from him.”

Tonyea Mead, science education associate in the Delaware Department of Education, noted that Dr. Hall played an influential role in the K-12 teaching community, including inspiring teacher interest in horseshoe crabs. “Jack Cairns, former state science supervisor at Department of Education, and Bill provided professional learning for new teachers through the Rookie Science Programs at Brighton Suites in Rehoboth,” she said. “He partnered with Science Alliance to offer weekend-long watershed trainings for middle school teachers. He provided field trips to Maine to study ecology and whale watching. He fostered partnerships and friendships between science teachers and park naturalists across the state and up and down the East Coast. I have tried to re-create this professional community and fellowship many times, but I can’t bring back that special thing Bill had with teachers.

Dr. Hall was one of the foremost horseshoe crab experts in the mid-Atlantic region.

“He was on the board of Delaware Teachers of Science and Science Olympiad,” she continued, “and he was committed almost every weekend in doing something with students or teachers. One of my favorite trainings was a two-week University of Delaware Sea Grant College Program, where you stayed at the Virden Center and studied the Delaware Bay, the Atlantic Ocean and marine life. It was followed up by a dissection of blue crabs and a feast! Bill organized an annual regional census of the Delaware Bay’s spawning horseshoe crab population and always got teachers and their families involved. Many of us taught a yearly unit on the horseshoe crab with students making a 3D model of the horseshoe crab. He inspired and grew many teachers to be great science teachers! He had a dry sense of humor, but he got excited when you talked about science education. Through his workshops, inspiration, dedication and words of wisdom, I grew to become the science person I am today.”

Jim Falk, retired Marine Advisory Service director, worked with Dr. Hall for more than 30 years and was his immediate supervisor for about 25 of those years. “Bill was the first marine education specialist in our Sea Grant Marine Advisory Service Program and was a strong advocate for science education,” Falk said. “He enjoyed sharing the wonders of science with students of all ages. He was especially passionate about teaching scientific methods to teachers, at all levels, so they in turn could pass along their new-found knowledge to hundreds of school-aged children. Bill was one of the foremost horseshoe crab experts in the mid-Atlantic region. Through his research and data collection efforts he helped to formulate policy decisions regarding the harvest of female crabs to insure their sustainability. His horseshoe crab outreach materials have been used in classrooms across the U.S. and abroad. He was an integral part of our Sea Grant Outreach Program and helped to establish science education standards across the nation.”

A graduate of Bloomsburg State College, Dr. Hall received his master’s degree from the University of the Pacific and his doctorate in educational leadership from UD.

Dr. Hall is survived by his wife, Penney, and sons William and Wyatt.

Donations in his memory may be made to the Leukemia Research Foundation or the Johns Hopkins University Hackerman-Patz Patient and Family Pavilion.

To read Dr. Hall’s obituary or leave online condolences, visit Short Funeral Services.