Of the many physicians in the Class of 1957, Bill was one of the most renowned. Yet — except for maybe in his residency at Columbia Physicians and Surgeons in New York City — Bill never saw a patient. He was drawn to research, earned a Ph.D. from Duke in comparative renal physiology, returned to Columbia to teach pharmacology, then moved to the new University of Arizona Medical College to help start the Department of Physiology, now the largest undergraduate life science major. He spent his career there, retiring in 2005. 

He wrote some 150 peer-reviewed papers, served in professional associations, and lectured around the world. His CV is 40 pages long. 

A roommate described Bill as driven and focused: “He had his day planned before it started.” Included was daily lap swimming. Although he long intended to go into medicine, Bill majored in English at Princeton. His thesis title was “Uses of Freudian Ideas and Techniques in the Novels of Conrad Aiken and Ludwig Lewisohn.” He was active in the Student Christian Association and belonged to Dial Lodge. His senior-year roommates were Dave Cameron, Terry Coughlin, Terry McCabe, and Cliff Roltsch. 

Bill died May 27, 2022. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Barbara; daughter Amy; and brother Bob. Son Kurt predeceased Bill. 

Undergraduate Class of 1957