William Barrow Floyd ’56
Bill Floyd, a native son and lifelong resident of Lexington, Ky., died there on Dec. 18, 1999.
Bill entered Princeton from Culver Military Academy, and majored in art and archaeology. He sang in the freshman Glee Club and the Chapel Choir, served on the Schools and Scholarship Committee of the Orange Key, and was a member of Campus Club. Following graduation, Bill received a master's in art history from the U. of Kentucky, carried out further studies at George Washington U. and the Smithsonian Institution, and served in the US Army.
An art dealer and consultant, Bill published articles in Antiques Magazine, was the recognized authority on early Kentucky portraiture, and served as curator for the Commonwealth of Kentucky for 13 years. In this capacity, he planned and supervised the restoration of Kentucky's Old State Capitol, My Old Kentucky Home at Bardstown, and the Vest Lindsey House in Frankfort. Recently, he was curator of Ashland, the estate of Henry Clay. Bill was the owner of the Floyd Gallery, for the sale of early paintings and prints, and also taught at several private schools. He held membership in Lexington's Christ Church Cathedral, the Princeton Club of New York, and the Idle Hour Country Club.
Bill is survived by his mother, Barrie, a brother, Morris B. '58, two aunts, and numerous cousins. The class extends its sympathy to those who mourn his death.
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John Hall Beeler Jr.
4 Weeks AgoRemembering a Generous Gesture
Bill and I were acquainted from our days at St. Andrew’s, a (then) boys’ boarding school (now co-ed) in Middletown, Delaware. He was a “master” who taught history; I was a student, but not one of his. He was dorm supervisor on my hallway; he was fascinated by the adolescent goings-on. We became friends. I was entranced by his deep knowledge of art, his brilliance and accomplishment as a writer, and his overall sophistication. Unbeknownst to me he wrote a laudatory letter to the admissions office at Wesleyan University, where I had applied, exhorting them to accept me (he told me years later about this). I was accepted in spite of low SATs and unremarkable grades, and I attribute that acceptance to the glowing letter that Bill penned on my behalf. What a generous gesture! I’ll never forget the man, he was “one of a kind” — charming in his southern manner and genteel ways.