William T. Coyle, former chair of the department of English, died Dec. 17, 2006, in Boca Raton, Fla. He was 89.

Coyle began his Wittenberg career in 1948 and continued to teach for 20 years. His field of academic scholarship was American literature, and he lectured and published widely on this and related topics.

Among his many contributions to Wittenberg was helping to establish the American Studies program, an interdisciplinary program designed to offer students an opportunity to study American culture in its broadest sense from a variety of perspectives. He also was active in numerous professional organizations including the College English Association of Ohio.

Coyle is survived by three children, four grandchildren and one greatgranddaughter. His wife, Charlotte, predeceased him in 2004