Gerald Lawson Gill Recognized for Contributions to Scholarship and Library Sciences

    CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA, March 13, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Gerald Lawson Gill has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Born to George and Marjorie Gill in Montgomery, Alabama, Mr. Gill embarked upon his professional path at Roosevelt High School in Atlanta, Georgia, from which he graduated in 1967. Soon thereafter, he decided to pursue higher education at the University of Georgia. As a freshman, he participated in a personality intelligence interest test at the career counseling center. Although he achieved high rankings in journalism and mathematics, he was surprised to discover he was most qualified to become a librarian. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in history, philosophy, and religion from the University of Georgia in 1971, he completed research to become part of a library science program. Ultimately, Mr. Gill obtained a Master of Arts in library science at The University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1973.

Mr. Gill began his career at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, working as a cataloger from 1974 to 1976 and an instructor from 1974 to 1980. He subsequently contributed to James Madison University as a member of the faculty senate from 1975 to 1979, the secretary of the curriculum and instruction committee from 1976 to 1978, and the chairman of the curriculum and instruction committee from 1978 to 1979. During this time, he continued his academic efforts with postgraduate coursework in business administration at James Madison University between 1978 and 1979. Moreover, Mr. Gill was active at James Madison University as a reference librarian from 1976 to 1987 and a member of the editorial board for the James Madison Journal from 1977 to 1980.

Certified as a professional librarian in the State of Virginia, Mr. Gill likewise served as an assistant professor at James Madison University from 1980 to 1990, at which time he was appointed to the library advisory committee for the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia from 1986 to 1987. Furthermore, he was affiliated with the Virginia Library Association as a parliamentarian in 1979 and 1981 as well as a council member from 1986 to 1987. He additionally dedicated his time and attention to the American Library Association as the secretary of the Law and Political Science section from 1982 to 1985, the chairman of the business reference services committee from 1984 to 1986, the chairman of the business reference services discussion group from 1986 to 1987, and the business reference chairman for the academy libraries committee from 1988 to 1991. Mr. Gill was also elected as the treasurer and president for the Virginia chapter of the Special Librarians Association between 1983 and 1987.

Mr. Gill would find further success at James Madison University both inside and outside of the classroom, operating simultaneously as both a business reference librarian from 1987 to 1999 and an associate professor from 1990 to 2002. Between 1996 and 1998, he was recruited by James Madison University as a member of the faculty senate and a member of the university council. Prior to his retirement as a librarian at James Madison University, he excelled as a government documents librarian from 1998 to 2003 and the head of reference and government documents from 2003 to 2010. Notably, Mr. Gill thrived as a professor at James Madison University from 2002 to 2010, at which point he accepted the designation of professor emeritus.

Since 2016, Mr. Gill has committed his focus primarily toward his membership with the Democratic National Committee. He has likewise remained involved in his field as a consultant, lecturer, and speaker for engagements sponsored by both national and regional organizations. Outside of his core responsibilities, he supported his community through the Minor Hill Manorhomes Home Owners Association as the president from 2004 to 2005 and a board member from 2006 to 2016. A former virtual Virginia coordinator for the Management Business Committee, Mr. Gill has also established himself through his published works, having co-authored a number of articles published in professional journals and reviewed texts for the American Reference Books Annual.

As a testament to his stellar accomplishments, Mr. Gill was inducted into the Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars in 2007. He was previously presented with the Business Librarianship Excellence Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1991. In that same year, he was further honored with the Gale Research Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a recognition that he has cited as a highlight of his career. However, his proudest professional moment was establishing the business section of the American Library Association at James Madison University, providing contacts, business information and resources to more than 700 librarians while becoming a source of inspiration for many others in his field. Looking toward the future, Mr. Gill hopes to enjoy his well-deserved retirement by indulging in his hobbies, which include collecting art, writing, and reading, and spending time with his loving wife, Andrea.

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Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Marquis celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2023, and Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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