Prof. Gibson Dies At 46 Of Illness

Prof. Gibson Dies At 46 Of Illness

Public Health School Associate Dean Succumbs In Hospital

Prof. William C. Gibson, 46, associate dean of the University's School of Public Health and a U-M faculty member for the past 11 years, died last night at University Hospital following a long illness. He lived at 205 Mark Hannah Pl.

He was appointed associate dean last January after serving as acting dean of the school during 1959-60 between the retirement of former Dean Henry F. Vaughn and the appointment of present Dean Myron E. Wegman.

Prof. Gibson, who had served as a public health official in county, state and federal public

Prof. William C. Gibson

health departments and agencies, joined the U-M faculty in 1950 as an associate professor of public health engineering. He was promoted to full professor in 1956.

Niehuss Comments

U-M Vice-President Marvin L. Niehuss said today of Prof. Gibson, “He was an exceptionally valuable member of the University. He was a fine teacher an able administrator and was internationally known in his profession. His warm personality will make his loss even more keenly felt.”

Prof. Clarence J. Velz, chairman of the school’s department of environmental health in which Gibson taught, called him “one of the key people in our department and in the school. He was a highly energetic person, full of ideas, and a wonderful individual.”

Prof. Gibson received a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from the New York University College of Engineering in 1936, and a master’s degree in public health from the University of North Carolina in 1950.

Before joining the U-M faculty, Prof. Gibson held positions with several county health departments in the state, the Michigan Department of Health and the U. S. Public Health Service.

In 1955 he conducted public health evaluation of community development programs in India, Iran, Egypt and the Gold Coast. Similar activities took him to Turkey, Israel, Ethiopia and Liberia in 1959 under sponsorship of the World Health Organization.

During World War II, Prof. Gibson served in the Army Sanitary Corps and has remained in the reserves since with the rank of major.

He had served as director-at-large of the Michigan Engineering Society and vice-chairman of the engineering section of the American Public Health Association. He had served as secretary of the School of Public Health for four years.

Prof. Gibson was a member of the Michigan Public Health Association, the American Water Works Association, the Conference of Municipal Public Health Engineers, the American Public Health Association, and the Ann Arbor Engineers Club. He was named a diplomate of the American Academy of Sanitary Engineers in 1956.

Survivors Named

Survivors include his wife, Doretha, and a son, Larry, both at home; his father, Francis Gibson of Long Island, N. Y.; three brothers, Robert of Fair Lawn, N. J., and Francis and Eugene, both of Long Island; and a sister, Mrs. Evelyn De-Gennairo, also of Long Island.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the First Baptist Church, with the Rev. James H. Middleton officiating. Cremation has taken place under the arrangement by the Muehlig Funeral Chapel.

A memorial fund honoring Prof. Gibson will be announced later.