William Morse Oman (US Navy Veteran)
of Avery Manor, Needham MA, on March 19, 2009. Bill Oman spent over 40 years in New York City book publishing in the general and college textbook fields. Working his way up from traveling salesman he became Vice President and Editor-in-Chief in the New York office of Oxford University Press. His career spanned an era when authors and editors of small independent publishers were at the top of the publishing pyramid. They worked closely to define and develop manuscripts, and were able to take creative risks. Among the scores of authors with whom he worked were: Samuel Eliot Morison, Henry Steele Commager, Rachel Carson, Arthur Compton, Linus Pauling, Joseph Schumpeter, and Arnold Toynbee." In 1958, Oman became Vice President and Director of Dodd, Mead and launched a successful college textbook program. Oman was born in New York City in 1911, and lived for several years in Newport and St. Thomas, USVI, where his father, Rear Admiral J.W. Oman was Governor General. After the family returned to New York City, he was Valedictorian of Trinity School in 1930 and graduated with Honors from Princeton University in 1934. During World War II, Bill became a convoy and routing officer in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, participated in the Okinawa invasion, and later served on Admiral Chester Nimitz’s staff at Guam. After the war he retired as a Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy Reserve and resided in Scarsdale, Bronxville, and Chappaqua, NY. After retiring from book publishing in 1976, he and his family lived for many years in North Pomfret, VT, where he served on the Woodstock and Pomfret Vermont School Boards, and was a Trustee of the Calvin Coolidge Memorial. He and his wife eventually moved to Williamstown, MA, and in 2004 to Needham, MA. Bill remained an avid tennis player through his mid 80s, and was a lifelong fan of the Boston-Milwaukee-Atlanta Braves. Bill is survived by his three children from his marriage to the late Janet McMaster Oman of Walnut Creek, CA: Charles M. Oman and his wife Cherry of Winchester MA, and their children Katherine and Peter; William M. Oman Jr. and his partner Larry Crummer of Walnut Creek, CA; and Virginia M. Oman of Apache Junction, AZ. He also leaves five step-children from his second marriage to the late Janet Waters Oman of Needham, MA: Constance M. Sheppard of Pasadena, CA, Elizabeth C. Vinton of Wellesley, MA, Thomas C. Creamer of Somers, NY, George W. Creamer of Weston, MA, and Anne W. Hogeland of Williamstown, MA as well as his 28 step grand-and great-grand children. A family interment service will be held later in North Pomfret, VT.