William Peeples Jr

William Dewey Peeples Jr (born April 19, 1928 in Bessemer; died June 6, 2024 in Birmingham) was chair of the department of mathematics at Samford University.

William was the son of William and Thelma Jeannette Chastain Peeples who moved to Anniston for a few years before settling in Woodlawn. He graduated from Woodlawn High School, then earned a bachelor of science in chemistry at Howard College and a master's in mathematics at the University of Wisconsin. His Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Georgia in 1951 was the first awarded by that school. After graduating he joined the faculty at Howard.

Peeples began his career as a computer programmer for the ENIAC computer at the U.S. Army's Aberdeen Proving Ground in Aberdeen, Maryland. In 1954 he was commissioned as a lieutenant for active duty in the Ordnance Corps, serving first at Aberdeen and later at Flak-Kaserne Ludwigsburg in Germany.

In 1956 Peeples began teaching at the Alabama Polytechnic Institute in Auburn. He married Katie Blackerby, a former student of his at Howard, in 1956. In 1959 he returned to Birmingham as head of Howard's math department. He co-authored several college math textbooks, hosted an annual math tournament at the college, and helped to develop Samford's graduate program in mathematics. He retired in 1995.

Peeples was a Sunday School teacher and Deacon at Southside Baptist Church. He was also a master Mason and Zamora Temple Shriner.

Peeples died in 2024. He was survived by his four children, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. He was buried at Currie-Jefferson Memorial Cemetery in Hoover.

References

• "Dr. William Dewey Peeples Jr" obituary (June 9, 2024) AL.com