"William Ashby McCloy (1913-2000) was born in Baltimore and studied at Phillips Andover Academy, University of Iowa and Yale University.  He taught at Drake University, University of Wisconsin, University of Manitoba, and, finally, Connecticut College, where he remained for twenty-four years. 

"Upon his death, he bequeathed literally thousands of his life’s oeuvre to the Slater Memorial Museum.  His long, collegial friendship with former Slater director Joseph Gualtieri led him to create Aspirations, a core ten steel outdoor sculpture, in 1975-76 specifically for the Slater Memorial Museum grounds. William McCloy’s work reveals a fertile imagination, coupled with skillful draftsmanship.  The many pieces he donated to the Slater Museum reflect constant change and investigation.  He pushed the limits of aesthetic sensibility, enhancing his ability to teach and relate to emerging artists. "