For inclusion in the Memorial Minutes section of the American Philosophical Association:
William (Bill) Asbury Wisdom was born on February 5, 1935 in Haverford, PA. He graduated
valedictorian of his class in Haverford High School in 1952, received a BA from Wesleyan
University in 1956, and MA in Philosophy from New York University in 1960, and a PhD in
Philosophy from Bryn Mawr College in 1966. His dissertation was titled “Necessary and
contingent truth in the philosophy of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.”
After two years as an Instructor in the Philosophy Department at Penn State University, he joined
the Philosophy Department at Temple University in 1964. He received tenure and promotion to
Associate Professor in 1969 and remained in that position until his retirement in 1997. Early in
his career, he published several articles in the areas of logic, metaphysics and philosophy of
language and also collaborated with Professor Hughes Leblanc in writing a widely used
textbook, Deductive Logic (first edition Allyn and Bacon, 1972, second edition Allyn and Bacon
1973, third edition Prentice Hall 1993). Later in his career he did not publish, but devoted
himself to teaching and service activities. He received the College of Arts and Sciences Alumni
Association’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 1985. He also served terms as Director of
Graduate Studies and Department Chair. He was active in the faculty union, playing his banjo
and leading faculty in song during the 1990 strike.
In retirement, Bill spent more time on his avocation, playing Old Time music with his second
wife, Fritzi (Frances) and friends. Every Friday night for years Bill and Fritzi opened their home
to musicians for an Old Time Jam. He was an active member of both the Philadelphia
Association for Critical Thinking and the Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia. In more
recent years, Bill and Fritzi lived in Martin’s Run, a senior living community in Media, PA. Bill
died in hospice care on December 15, 2013. Fritzi survives him, as do Fritzi’s three children.
Bill’s son Robert Wisdom preceded him in death.
Author: Miriam Solomon, Temple University