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| − | == Ancestry ==
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| − | Grinton Ingham Will, son of Edwin Robertson and M. Helen (Ingham) Will, was born on April 15, 1903. His great-grandfather was a [[kapellmeister]] (music conductor) in [[Bonn]], Germany, the birthplace of [[Ludwig van Beethoven]]. His grandfather John H. Will, a talented artist in his own right, immigrated to the [[United States]] from [[Bonn]] in 1848. His father, Edwin Will, studied architecture at [[City College of New York]] and Cooper Union before working at an architectural firm associated with famed architect [[John Russell Pope]]. His mother, M. Helen Ingham, studied at [[Hunter College]] and then became a teacher at Evander Childs and other schools in [[New York City]]. Her family is of English origin and immigrated to the [[United States]] before the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]]. Grinton's brother Robert was born in 1909.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Griffin |first1=Ernest |title=Westchester County and its people, a record. |date=1946 |publisher=Lewis Historical Publishing Company |location=New York |page=97–98}}</ref>
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| − | == Education and Beginning of Career ==
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| − | Grinton grew up in [[Mamaroneck]] and attended the Rye Neck public schools. After graduating from high school, he attended [[Columbia University]] and received his professional library service certificate in 1930. He then attended [[Wesleyan University]] where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree. While studying at [[Columbia University]], he worked at as a bank teller at the First National Bank of Mamaroneck. He then became a [[librarian]] at the [[Mamaroneck Public Library]] in 1923. He worked at the [[Mamaroneck Public Library]] for ten years and then was hired in 1933 to work at the [[Yonkers Public Library]]. After working at the [[Yonkers Public Library]] for eight years, he became library director of the [[Yonkers Public Library]] in 1941.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Griffin |first1=Ernest Freeland |title=Westchester County and its people, a record. |date=1946 |publisher=Lewis Historical Publishing Co. |location=New York |page=98}}</ref>
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| − | == Working as a Director of the Yonkers Public Library ==
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| − | While Grinton was director of the [[Yonkers Public Library]], the [[library]] grew. Under his direction, three branches of the [[Yonkers Public Library]] were built. These were the Coyne Park Branch, the Hudson Museum River Branch, and the Grassy Sprain Branch, which would later become know as the Grinton I. Will Library. Though already built, the Crestwood Library Branch building was enlarged. Additionally, three [[bookmobiles]] were built to provide library service to Yonkers residents who were not close to a library branch. With [[bookmobiles]] and various [[library]] branches, library service was provided to every part of [[Yonkers]]. His implementing of [[bookmobiles]] as part of [[library]] service was recognized by the [[United States State Department]] and Mr. Will was contacted by them to build bookmobiles that could be used in [[Indonesia]] and the [[Philippines]] after [[World War Two]]. The lack of roads in these countries at the them prevented this from being implemented. <ref>{{cite web |title=Interview with Grinton I. Will about being a director of the Yonkers Public Library |url=http://archive.ypl.org/items/show/559 |website=Yonkers Public Library Digital Archive |accessdate=January 2, 2019}}</ref>
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| − | Under Grinton I. Will, notable programs held at the Yonkers Public Library included musical productions by [[National Symphony Orchestra]] musicians Daniel Domb and Sidney Moore<ref>{{cite web |title=Grinton I. Will with Daniel Domb and Sidney Moore |url=http://archive.ypl.org/items/show/309 |website=Yonkers Public Library Digital Archive |accessdate=December 28, 2018}}</ref>, a mock broadcast with [[WINS]] broadcaster Stan Z. Burns<ref>{{cite web |title=Stan Z. Burns Radio Broadcast Demonstration |url=http://archive.ypl.org/items/show/231 |website=Yonkers Public Library Digital Archive |accessdate=December 28, 2018}}</ref>, a production of [[The Wizard of Oz]]{{dn|date=July 2020}} <ref>{{cite web |title=The Wizard of Oz at the Library |url=http://archive.ypl.org/items/show/311 |website=Yonkers Public Library Digital Archive |accessdate=December 28, 2018}}</ref>, and Library Night featuring guest speakers and politicians.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mayor Kristen Kristensen Addressing The Crowd at Library Night April 19, 1961 |url=http://archive.ypl.org/items/show/221 |website=Yonkers Public Library Digital Archive |accessdate=January 3, 2019}}</ref> Besides the success of his library programming, the circulation of materials increased. On December 19, 1961, the one millionth book was circulated. <ref>{{cite web |title=Circulation Countdown For the One Millionth Book Borrowed |url=http://archive.ypl.org/items/show/530 |website=Yonkers Public Library Digital Archive |accessdate=December 28, 2018}}</ref> By the time of Grinton I. Will's retirement in 1973, the [[Yonkers Public Library]] was the highest circulating library of its group. This consisted of libraries that serviced between 100,000 to 250,000 patrons. <ref>{{cite web |title=Interview with Grinton I. Will about being a director of the Yonkers Public Library |url=http://archive.ypl.org/items/show/559 |website=Yonkers Public Library Digital Archive |accessdate=December 28, 2018}}</ref> After a long career of extraordinary
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| − | == Library Associations ==
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| − | When not working at the Yonkers Public Library, Grinton I. Will was heavily involved with library associations. As a member of the Westchester County Library Association, he was became chairman of the victory book campaign from 1941-1943 and helped gather books for [[U.S. Armed Forces]] during [[World War Two]]. He also was on the membership committee and membership board on salaries, pensions and working conditions of the New York Library Association. Additionally, he was on the [[American Library Association]]'s board on salaries, staff, and tenure. He also was a member of the [[American Library Association]]'s committee on relations with the H.W. Wilson Company. Further, he was a member of the parent education committee of the New York State Congress of Parents and Teachers in the Metropolitan District and chairman of its library committee between 1941 to 1943.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Griffin |first1=Ernest |title=Westchester County and its people, a record. |date=1946 |publisher=Lewis Historical Publishing Company |location=New York |page=98}}</ref> Besides just working in library associations, Mr. Will assisted libraries by working as a consultant. He worked as a library consultant to the Levittown high school and public library. A report of the combination of high school and public library services was written and published as a book in 1963.<ref>{{cite book |title=Feasibility study of the combination of public and high school library services in Levittown, New Jersey |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001760521 |website=Hathi Trust Digital Library |accessdate=January 3, 2019|year=1963 }}</ref>
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| − | == Community Work ==
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| − | Outside of work, Grinton spent a tremendous amount of time studying local history. He belonged to the Westchester County History Society, the New York State Historical Society, and the Yonkers Historical Society.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Griffin |first1=Ernest Freeland |title=Westchester County and its people, a record. |date=1946 |publisher=Lewis Historical Pub. Co. |location=New York |page=99}}</ref> With the Yonkers Historical Society, he wrote an article about the building of Yonkers City Hall at the request of Mayor Gerry Loehr. This was published in the Yonkers Historical Society's bulletin.<ref>{{cite web |title=Grinton I. Will Talks About Yonkers History |url=http://archive.ypl.org/items/show/564 |website=Yonkers Public Library Archive |accessdate=January 2, 2019}}</ref> Along with the Yonkers Historical Society, he was involved with various Yonkers community organizations. These include the [[Boy Scouts of America]] troop in [[Yonkers]]; the Yonkers Tuberculosis and Health Association, and the United Nationalities Council of Yonkers. During [[World War Two]], he was the director of research and information for the Yonkers War Council and a community service member of the Yonkers Price and Rationing Board.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Griffin |first1=Ernest Freeland |title=Westchester county and its people, a record |date=1946 |publisher=Lewis Historical Pub. Co. |location=New York |page=99}}</ref>
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| − | == Music Interest ==
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| − | Grinton I. Will had a passion for music. Following in his great-grandfather's footsteps, he was a guest conductor of both the [[Larchmont]] and [[Mamaroneck]] choral societies. He wrote original lyrics and music for choral compositions. A couple of these include "Through the Night a Starry Way" and "Lord, O Lord, Look Down Upon Us." These songs were published by H.W. Gray Publications in 1928.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Griffin |first1=Ernest Freeland |title=Westchester county and its people, a record. |date=1946 |publisher=Lewis historical Pub. Co. |location=New York |page=99}}</ref>
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| − | == Marriage and Family ==
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| − | Grinton I. Will married Clarissa Lord on March 14, 1931 at St. Bartholomew's Protestant Church in New York City. Clarissa attended Connecticut College for Women and received a Bachelor of Arts degree. She graduated with honors and was elected Winthrop Scholar. After graduating, she worked as a statistician in the economics department at the University of Connecticut before getting married. Grinton and Clarissa had two sons together-Brian Robert and David Grinton Will.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Griffin |first1=Ernest |title=Westchester county and its people, a record. |date=1946 |publisher=Lewis Historical Publishing Co. |location=New York |page=99}}</ref>
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| − | == Legacy ==
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| − | After living a life full of public service, Grinton I. Will passed away in in June of 1986 at the age of 83. <ref>{{cite web |title=Grinton I Will |url=https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/61754221/person/32200307881/story |website=Ancestry |accessdate=January 2, 2019}}</ref> His noble work with the community and his leadership as a library director will be forever remembered in Yonkers.
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