William Buford Jones

DURHAM – William Buford Jones, 91, of Durham, N.C. passed away at Hillcrest Convalescent Center, July 7, 2024, after a long illness. 

He was born on September 3, 1932, in Pine Grove, Kentucky to Clara Lakes Jones and George Jones. After his early years in Pine Grove, Kentucky, the family moved to Richmond, Indiana where Buford graduated from Richmond High School and earned a A.B. from Earlham College in English with Honors. Following his undergraduate years, Buford attended Harvard University as a Danforth Fellow and received his M.A. in English. After teaching at Tarsus American College in Tarsus, Turkiye, he returned to Harvard and completed his Ph.D in American Literature. 

After teaching at American University of Beirut, Lebanon, Buford began his teaching career in the English Department at Duke University where he taught for fifty years. A lifelong love and deep knowledge of 18th and 19th century American Literature as well as literature of the English Renaissance led to his involvement with several literary and academic societies and publications, both at Duke and nationally. He was a founding member of the National Hawthorne Society and served as its bibliographer for many years. He was one of the world’s top authorities on Hawthorne and the recipient of many honors and awards, including Outstanding Educators in America and the outstanding Professor Award from Duke University. 

Buford specialized in other nineteenth-century American writers as well, particularly Herman Melville, Edgar Allen Poe, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Thoreau. He also participated in conferences with their societies and published more than a hundred books, pamphlets, articles and papers. 

Buford’s passion for literature was contagious and sparked his important legacy: the mutual respect and the enthusiasm he shared with his students. Many of them came back to visit from all corners of the globe including International Fullbright scholars from Japan, China and Korea. His light will live on in the many leaders and professors across the U.S. and world whom he influenced and continues to inspire.

Participating in the Earlham College choir sparked his life-long love of singing and choral music that included Appalachian folk songs, Gilbert and Sullivan and many classical choral works. In addition, Buford loved to explore foreign languages and had written or spoken knowledge of nine languages over his life-time. Buford also loved book collecting and beach trips.

Buford is survived by his wife of forty years, Shirley Violand-Jones and his children William George Jones and Sumayya Jones Humienny (Mark Humienny); his grandson John Allen Humienny (Ayra Ajel) and Catherine Humienny; his two sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law; his five nieces, five great-nieces, three great-nephews and two great-great-nieces. 

A visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Thursday, July 11, 2024, at Hall-Wynne Funeral Service. A funeral service will be held at 12:00 p.m. at Hall-Wynne Funeral Service Chapel. Burial will follow at Maplewood Cemetery. Officiating will be Rev. Bruce Puckett.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to the Friends of the Duke Library. 

The family is under the care of Hall-Wynne Funeral Service, 1113 W. Main Street, Durham, NC 27701.