William Louis Howarth, an English professor who specialized in American literature of the 19th and 20th centuries, died June 6 at age 82. Howarth taught at the University for more than 50 years, including the decade after he transferred to emeritus status in 2008. He served as editor-in-chief of The Writings of Henry D. Thoreau, wrote six books of his own, reported on literary America for the National Geographic Society, and advised hundreds of senior theses and dissertations. Howarth helped found the African American studies program and the Princeton Environmental Institute and was a pioneer in humanities computing. In 2009, he received the Award for Excellence in Alumni Education.
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