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First dean of URI library remembered by coworkers
Jessica Medeiros
Issue date: 11/9/05 Section: News
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11/09/05 - Former colleagues of George Parks, the first dean of the University of Rhode Island Library, shared memories of his sense of fairness and his warm personality.
Parks passed away Oct. 17 in Windham, Maine.
Bill O'Malley, currently the department chair at the university library and one of Parks' good friends, remembered when Parks arrived at URI.
"The first thing he had to do as the director was hand out raises," O'Malley said. "We noticed that none of the men got raises. When we confronted [Parks] about this, he said, 'The men were getting more money than the women.'"
O'Malley said Parks always seemed to find a good balance in his decision making, even when the circumstances demanded a great deal of diplomacy. "He was trying to correct an injustice and keep the men happy. He was always like that," O'Malley said. "I loved him for that. Even though I swore at him."
Parks came to URI in 1969, first as director of the University Library and later as a dean.
O'Malley said that when he first arrived, many of his coworkers had been working at the library for longer than he had been alive. He was young but experienced, the kind of man who made things happen with his sink-or-swim attitude.
Parks brought energy and optimism to his job. "He was very open and personable. Always whistling when he came though the office," O'Malley said, recalling his days around the office with Parks.
Another of Parks' coworkers, library associate professor Mimi Keefe, also has fond memories of Parks' years at URI. "We went from the 'yes sir' boss to the 'let's work together' boss," Keefe said.
"He was a great boss, very supportive," O'Malley said. "He gave me a lot of jobs that I shouldn't have had. If we didn't know how to do something, he would tell us, 'Learn how to do it.'"
Parks practiced that 'figure it out' philosophy daily in his own life. He graduated with an English degree from the University of New Hampshire and went directly into working in libraries, accomplishing and changing many things on the way.
Parks passed away Oct. 17 in Windham, Maine.
Bill O'Malley, currently the department chair at the university library and one of Parks' good friends, remembered when Parks arrived at URI.
"The first thing he had to do as the director was hand out raises," O'Malley said. "We noticed that none of the men got raises. When we confronted [Parks] about this, he said, 'The men were getting more money than the women.'"
O'Malley said Parks always seemed to find a good balance in his decision making, even when the circumstances demanded a great deal of diplomacy. "He was trying to correct an injustice and keep the men happy. He was always like that," O'Malley said. "I loved him for that. Even though I swore at him."
Parks came to URI in 1969, first as director of the University Library and later as a dean.
O'Malley said that when he first arrived, many of his coworkers had been working at the library for longer than he had been alive. He was young but experienced, the kind of man who made things happen with his sink-or-swim attitude.
Parks brought energy and optimism to his job. "He was very open and personable. Always whistling when he came though the office," O'Malley said, recalling his days around the office with Parks.
Another of Parks' coworkers, library associate professor Mimi Keefe, also has fond memories of Parks' years at URI. "We went from the 'yes sir' boss to the 'let's work together' boss," Keefe said.
"He was a great boss, very supportive," O'Malley said. "He gave me a lot of jobs that I shouldn't have had. If we didn't know how to do something, he would tell us, 'Learn how to do it.'"
Parks practiced that 'figure it out' philosophy daily in his own life. He graduated with an English degree from the University of New Hampshire and went directly into working in libraries, accomplishing and changing many things on the way.
