AUCA expresses sincere condolences to the family and friends of Dr. William (Bill) Newton-Smith

April 13, 2023

Dear AUCA Community:

It is with great sadness that I inform you that Dr. William (Bill) Newton-Smith, AUCA’s former chair of the Board and long-time board member, passed away this week at the age of 80.

Bill served on the Board of AUCA from 2005 and as chair until 2016. During this time, he presided over the expansion and success of AUCA in many ways, including its move to its new campus and its partnerships with Bard College and Indiana University. He served as the chair of the Academic Policy, Standards, and Accreditation Committee. When he stepped down, he remained engaged as an emeritus Board member.

Bill sat on several education and non-profit boards as a distinguished leader and board member. He was the founding executive chairman of the Central European University and the chairman of the Higher Education Support Program of the Open Society Foundation, establishing over 20 universities around the world and supporting thousands of scholars in research and exchange programs. For two decades Bill was chairman of the board of the Open Society Foundation, London, and was a senior advisor to the Open Society network of foundations, where he also served on its Global Board.

Bill had a distinguished academic career as a philosopher of science. His undergraduate degree from Queen’s University was in Mathematics and Philosophy (1966). He took an MA from Cornell University in Philosophy (1968), and DPhil in Philosophy from Balliol College, Oxford (1974). For over 35 years, he was a professor of philosophy and Fairfax fellow at Balliol College, Oxford University. Bill was also an honorary fellow at Champlain College, Ontario (1981), and Honorary Professor at Keele University, England (1986).

Bill cared about academics and people. He loved talking to students and always had a positive outlook about possibilities for the future. He and his wife, the Canadian journalist Nancy Durham, energetically and affably engaged with students, faculty, and staff of AUCA. In his later years, they became the first to grow lavender on a field scale in Wales.

I extend my heartfelt condolences to Nancy, Bill’s family, AUCA board members and friends, and all members of the AUCA community.

He will be sadly missed by the entire community.

In deepest sympathy,

Jonathan Becker, AUCA President

WILLIAM H. NEWTON-SMITH's speech at AUCA Gala Opening 2015: video

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