Former EAIA leader William Ackroyd dies

Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association, Inc., The, Sep/Oct 2001 by Kebabian, Paul

It is with deep regret that I report the death of William K. Ackroyd, of Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, on this past February 20.

Bill joined the EAIA in August, 1965, following a career in the banking business. He was one of our most devoted members, giving generously of his time and services. He was a member of the Board of Directors for several terms, and a First Vice President, but was restrained from accepting the presidency of the association because of a serious physical disability and negative medical advice.

Perhaps Bill's greatest contribution was his ten years of making virtually all arrangements-site, housing, dining, meeting accommodations, local transportation -for the EAIA meetings, as well as arranging for a substantial part of the program events, working with the requirements of the host museum or institution as necessary. Inasmuch as during those ten years, both a spring and a fall meeting were held, this amounted to a huge investment of time and travel on Bill's part. Despite this, hitches and glitches were almost nonexistent because of his careful planning.

Among those the Association has honored with the Long-Time Service Award, few may be as deserving as Bill, who received that award at the 1994 Annual Meeting. His collecting interests were wide, and included chiefly tools for woodworking and leatherworking trades. But he collected in other directions as well: cast iron stoves and agricultural tools. Indeed, he was a long-term enthusiast of and prime mover in the establishment of the New Hampshire Farm Museum, to which he gave a large number of items that he had collected through the years.

And above and beyond all that has been mentioned so far, Bill picked up the various scattered threads of EAIA history, which had fallen from several hands, and worked with concentration to produce the retrospective story and continuing historical record the EAIA.

He was truly one of a kind.

We will miss him.