William Lang was a professor of history and the first Vice President for Academic Affairs at UNI. He co-wrote a two volume history of UNI entitled A Century of Leadership and Service. Professor Lang joined the history faculty in 1949. He became Head of the Department of Social Science, where he served from 1955 until 1959, and became Dean of the College in 1959. When the State College of Iowa became UNI in 1967, Professor Lang became the first Vice President. He remained in this position until 1970, when he returned to the history classroom. He taught history at UNI until his retirement in 1978. He died August 6, 1994, at the age of 84. He was an excellent administrator and teacher. William Lang was born in 1910 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He received a bachelor's degree from Yankton College in South Dakota in 1931 and earned a Ph. D. in history from the University of Iowa in 1941. He began his career in education as a teacher, principal, and superintendent in public schools. From 1936 to 1949 he worked at Yankton College in various roles: instructor of history and speech, Dean of Men, professor of history, Acting President, and Dean of the College.
Compiled by Library Assistant Susan Witthoft; edited by University Archivist Gerald L. Peterson, January 1996; last updated, January 22, 2015 (GP).