William Leonard Eury, 1904-1995
William Leonard Eury died September 17, 1995 at his residence in Bessemer City, North Carolina. Mr. Eury, born in Gastonia, received his BA degree from Duke University and a BS and a MS in Library Science from George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University.
Mr. Eury joined Appalachian Normal School on a full-time basis in 1929. He served as the institution's Librarian until his retirement in 1970. During his long career at Appalachian, the school evolved from a normal school to Appalachian State Teachers College to Appalachian State University. Eury managed the library's growth from two small rooms with about 2,000 books in 1929 through the establishment of the D.D. Dougherty Library, and the library's eventual move into the former Carol Grotnes Belk Library, now known as Old Library Classroom Building. He also developed a separate Music Library which is now housed in the Broyhill Music Center.
His obituary appeared in several North Carolina newspapers. It stated that of Eury's many accomplishments at Appalachian, the one of which he was most proud was the role he played in establishing a special collection devoted to preserving materials related to the Appalachian region. That collection, which bears his name, was dedicated in his honor in 1971.
Mr. Eury's manuscript papers are housed in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection as Collection 391. William Leonard Eury Papers. His sister Margaret Eury Agle, an Appalachian alumna, and other interviewees of the Appalachian Memory Project discuss his contributions to institutional life.
Memorials may be made to the William Leonard Eury Appalachian Collection, Belk Library, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608.
