William B. Bristol, professor of history
emeritus, died on Oct. 24.
A native of Philadelphia, he graduated in 1936
from Gettysburg College and earned his
M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. He was a visiting
professor at the University of Puerto Rico and taught at Princeton University before joining the
Union faculty in 1948. He retired in 1985.
As a pacifist during World War II, he was a
conscientious objector, working with the U.S Forest Service, first in New York and then in Oregon and Washington, where he was a
smokejumper — parachuting into remote locations to fight forest fires.
A specialist in Latin American history, Prof.
Bristol taught such courses as “The Spanish and Portuguese Empires in America,” “Latin America and the United States,” and “The Mexican
Revolution.” He traveled extensively in Central and South America, making several trips
to research Protestant missionary activities in Colombia, to investigate fruit
companies in Honduras and Costa Rica, and to lead Union
student groups to Bogota. He wrote a monograph
on Cuba for the American
Friends Service Committee, reviewed more than forty-five books for Choice
magazine, and was a frequent speaker on non-violence and on Latin American
topics.
He was active with foreign student groups at the
College and an advisor to the International Relations Club and Phi Kappa
Sigma fraternity. His memberships included the American Historical Association,
the Latin American Studies Association, the Conference on Latin American
History, and Phi Beta Kappa.
Survivors include his wife, Naomi; his daughter,
Joan Cameron Bristol; his son-in-law, Randolph F. Scully; and his
granddaughter, Naomi Scully-Bristol.