William Morse Oman ’34

Bill Oman, who devoted most of his life to book publishing, died in Needham, Mass., March 19, 2009. He was 97.  

His early career was interrupted by World War II when he served in the Navy as a convoy routing officer in both the Atlantic and Pacific, retiring with the rank of lieutenant commander. Upon his discharge he resumed his involvement in book publishing, beginning as a traveling salesman with Dodd Mead and retiring in 1976 as vice president and editor-in-chief in the New York office of Oxford University Press. In this position he was responsible for publishing a series of books by well-established authors. Bill also was a past director and treasurer of Franklin Books Programs, chairman of the College Publisher’s Group, and an officer of the Publisher’s Lunch Club.  

For 12 years he served on the advisory council of Princeton’s English department and participated as a panelist in the University’s career conferences. He served on two school boards while living in Vermont, and was a trustee of the Calvin Coolidge Memorial.  

His first wife, Janet McMaster Oman, died in 2004, and his second wife, Janet Waters Oman, died in 2006. He is survived by three children, Charles M. ’66, William Jr., and Virginia; and 30 grand- and great-grandchildren, including Katherine M. Oman ’00.