William, or Bill as he was known, was a prominent figure in the School of Chemical Engineering from 1964 until he passed away in 2016. He moved to the UK from Australia in 1960, and Birmingham and the University quickly became his home for life. He lectured in process analysis, thermodynamics and mass transfer and his research activity included mass transfer mechanisms and mixing and mass transfer. By 1975 his publications list had grown to 25 papers.
After moving to a part-time contract in the late 1980s, he fully retired from the University in 1993. This did not, however, dampen his enthusiasm for Chemical Engineering, and he spent virtually every day on campus as an Honorary Senior Lecturer. This appointment was renewed every year without fail and was still in place when he died. He excelled at proof-reading exam papers, and answered the questions himself to identify errors, ambiguities and missing information. This expertise and scrupulous attention to detail is sorely missed.
Bill only had a few members of extended family in the UK, but he found lifelong friends in his colleagues. Professor Joe Biddlestone developed a strong and lasting friendship with Bill after they worked alongside one another for 50 years, or 12,000 working days. Joe organised Bill’s funeral, and a reception was held at the University. Joe stated that ‘home for [Bill] really was Chemical Engineering, his flat was a place to sleep’, so it was only fitting that his part of the celebration of his life was held there.
As much as Bill’s hard work and care lives on at Birmingham in the memories of students and staff alike, his legacy endures beyond that. A gift in Bill’s will for £100,000 has established the Bill McManamey endowment, which is supporting two students every year. The Bill McManamey scholarship is awarded to Chemical Engineering students demonstrating excellent academic performance and for making outstanding contribution to the life of the School and University. A student receiving the award in 2021 described it as ‘the highlight of [her] year’.
Bill devoted his life to the University, and his legacy gift is a fitting way to ensure that this dedication lives on even though Bill cannot be here to see it in person. Students for generations to come will benefit from Bill’s generosity and passion for education.
Find out more information on leaving a gift to the University in your will, or contact the legacies team.