Dr. William Sloane

Dr. William R. Sloane, 82, passed away Friday, September 30 in Liberty, MO. He was born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin and lived in Pleasant Hill, IA for 30 years. He worked at Drake University for 25 years as an Ellis and Nelle Levitt Finance Professor until his retirement in 1993. A visitation will be held at Hamilton’s Funeral Home in Des Moines on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 from 6-8:00 pm with burial at Leavenworth National Cemetery, Leavenworth, KS on Friday October 7, 2005 at 1:30 pm. During WWII, Dr. Sloane left high school to enlist in the Army, receiving his diploma while in the service. He was a Radio Operator Mechanic Gunner flying on a B-24. His 3 years of service included overseas duty of 13 months in the Central Pacific. Prior to his work at Drake University, he had been a political campaign manager, nightclub owner, lumber salesman, brewery worker and a string bass musician in jazz bands and orchestras. After attending the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee for three years, Dr. Sloane left school to marry his wife, Celine, whom he met while there were musicians in the Waukesha and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestras. Dr. Sloane and his wife were later musicians in the Des Moines Symphony. He completed his undergraduate degree in 1959 while working at the Milwaukee brewery and received his MBA in 1961 from Marquette University. He began teaching after he completed his masters degree and continued to teach while he worked toward his Ph D. Dr. Sloane did post MBA work for 2 years on a Ford Fellowship at the University of Chicago before getting his Ph D. from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1968. He then began his career at Drake University in Des Moines. His wife Celine preceded Dr. Sloane in death in 1998. His two daughters, Ann Kishiku of Sioux City, IA and Jennifer Lappin of Marshall, MO; son, William L. Sloane of Omaha, NE; sister, Elizabeth Sloane of Omaha, NE and 7 grandchildren survive him.