William F. (William Francis) Gekle

William F. Gekle, also listed as William Francis Gekle, was an American businessman and author. Princeton’s finding aid for the William F. Gekle Collection of Arthur Machen describes him in those terms and shows how deeply he was involved in collecting books, manuscripts, letters, and related material connected to Machen.

He is best remembered for Arthur Machen: Weaver of Fantasy, first published in 1949. The book is a study of the Welsh writer Arthur Machen, and surviving archival material suggests Gekle’s interest was more than casual: his papers include correspondence with literary figures and publicity and review material tied to that book.

Later catalog records also connect his name with regional and historical writing, including A Hudson riverbook and The Hacketts and the Roosevelts and Other River Families. Reliable biographical details about his personal life are scarce online, but the available record points to a dedicated reader, collector, and literary enthusiast whose work centered on authors and history he cared about deeply.