Vicki Gregory

Dr. Vicki Lovelady Gregory, distinguished educator and scholar, passed away on January 4, 2026. She was the beloved wife of W. Stanley Gregory and a respected leader in the field of library and information science. At the time of her death, Vicki was a resident of both Montgomery, Alabama and Tampa, Florida.

Born in February 1950, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Vicki grew up in Birmingham and Cullman, Alabama. She was predeceased by her father, John Allen Lovelady and her mother, Mary Carter Lovelady. Vicki attended public schools in Birmingham and Cullman and graduated from Cullman High School.

In 1968, Vicki began her freshman year at the University of Alabama and immediately joined the marching band, the Million Dollar Band (MDB), as a flutist. While marching, she met her future husband, W. Stanley Gregory (Stan) and started their nearly sixty-year adventure. Stan and Vicki married on August 15, 1970 and finished college as married students.

Dr. Gregory earned her Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in History, from the University of Alabama. She went on to receive both a Masters degree in History and a Master of Library Science degree from the University of Alabama. She later attended Rutgers University and earned a Ph.D. in Library and Information Science, completing her doctorate in 1987.

Before and during the completion of her Ph.D., Dr. Gregory served as the Technical Services Director at the Auburn University Montgomery Library for over 10 years.

In 1976, Dr. Gregory joined the University of South Florida, Tampa, as an Assistant Professor in the School of Library and Information Science. She subsequently was promoted to full Professor and from 1999 to 2007, Dr. Gregory served as Director of the School of Library and Information Science, providing visionary leadership during a period of significant change in the profession. Her dedication to excellence in library education helped shape the school’s national reputation.

Dr. Gregory was active in the American Library Association, as well as the Alabama and Florida Library Associations. She contributed extensively to all three organizations through service, leadership, scholarship, and mentorship. She authored five textbooks, including several that remain in use in universities across the country, and numerous scholarly articles focused on libraries in general, digitization, and collection development. Her work remains influential within the profession.

Vicki, with Stan in tow, traveled throughout the world speaking to groups about library science and specifically, on collection development. She conducted research and wrote extensively about the emerging role of computers and digitization in libraries.

She is survived by her husband, Stan, many nieces, nephews, and grand nephews, and her well-loved cats, Miss Kitty and Dovey.

Funeral services will be held at Leak Memory Chapel in Montgomery, Alabama on January 18 at 2:00 p.m. followed by interment in Greenwood Cemetery. Contributions in Dr. Gregory’s memory may be made to the Montgomery Symphony, Montgomerysymphony.org or the charity of your choice.