| Deaths |
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April 1, 2008, Volume 54, No. 27 |
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Dr. Gellhorn, Former SOM Dean
Dr. Leigh, Jr., Radiology
Ms. Mitchell, Wharton
Memorial Dedication: Ms. Kerbel
Dr. Gellhorn, Former SOM Dean
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Dr. Alfred A. Gellhorn, former dean of the School of Medicine, passed away on March 24 at age 94.
Coming to Penn as the first director of its Medical Center and serving as dean of the School of Medicine (1968-1973), Dr. Gellhorn introduced new dimensions of social thinking into many aspects of curriculum and health care delivery, including the establishment of the department of community medicine. His focus on collaborating with the local community led to the creation of such programs as the West Philadelphia Community Mental Health Consortium, the Health Education Program and Gateway to Higher Education, which encouraged minorities to pursue medical degrees. While serving as dean, Dr. Gellhorn also held an appointment as professor of medicine and pharmacology.
Other positions held by Dr. Gellhorn at other institutions and organizations included serving a 25-year tenure at Columbia University; founding director, Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education of the City College of New York, and the Gateway Institute in NYC’s public high schools; director of medical affairs at the NY State Department of Health; and board member and advisor for the Aaron and Irene Diamond Foundations.
Dr. Gellhorn received his medical degree in 1937 from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Penn awarded him an honorary degree in 1993 for his contributions to medicine and physician education in the service of humanity.
Dr. Gellhorn is survived by four daughters, Martha, Anne, Tina and Edna; five grandchildren including Alfred Gellhorn Campbell, C ’97 M ’05; and one great-grandchild.
Donations may be made to the Gateway Institute, City College, Harris Hall H06, 106 Convent Avenue, NY, NY 10031.
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Dr. Leigh, Jr., Radiology
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Dr. John S. “Jack” Leigh, Jr., Britton Chance Professor of Radiology in the School of Medicine, passed away on March 10 of heart disease. He was 69 years old.
Dr. Leigh earned his BSc in 1961 in electrical engineering and was a defensive lineman for the Quakers. He also earned his PhD in biophysics here at Penn and went on to become a pioneer as a researcher and educator at the University. Colleagues noted that he “was a brilliant innovator in research related to magnetic resonance (MR) and optical technologies.”
Dr. Leigh was appointed to the faculty in 1971. He also held a secondary appointment in the department of biochemistry and biophysics. Dr. Leigh was instrumental in the founding of Penn’s Metabolic Magnetic Resonance Research and Computing Center (MMRRC) in 1984 and served as its director for almost 25 years. The MMRRC has made significant contributions to technological advancements and biomedical applications of magnetic resonance.
In addition to several NIH fellowships, he was a Guggenheim Fellow at Cambridge University (1974-1975), and in 1999 he was inducted as a Fellow into the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, a status reserved for those who have made highly significant contributions in the field.
Dr. Leigh is survived by his wife, Judy; daughters, Jennie, Amy and Nancy Marcellino; sons, Scott and Robert; 10 grandchildren; one brother; and one sister.
Donations may be made to the Sassafras River Association, Box 333, Georgetown, MD 21930.
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Ms. Mitchell, Wharton
Nadine Mitchell, a retired research specialist at Wharton, passed away March 14; she was 85.
Ms. Mitchell earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Howard University in 1943. Two years later she earned a master’s degree in English from Radcliffe College, now an interdisciplinary center at Harvard University.
In 1971, after teaching at Howard University and Haverford College, she became a research specialist in the Human Resources Center of the department of management in the Wharton School where she conducted research on women’s and minority issues.
Ms. Mitchell was involved in many nonprofit organizations and educational institutions, and served on committees raising funds and planning activities for the Philadelphia Museum of Art, UNICEF, the American Association of University Women and the YWCA of Philadelphia.
Ms. Mitchell is survived by her son, Howard Mitchell, Jr; and three granddaughters. Her husband, Howard Mitchell, died in 1999 (Almanac October 12, 1999); he had served on the Wharton faculty as the UPS Foundation Professor Emeritus of Human Resources and Management. The Howard E. Mitchell Memorial Conference is held annually in his memory.
Memorial Dedication: Ms. Kerbel
The University community is invited to the dedication of the Sandra S. Kerbel Memorial Alcove in the David B. Weigle Information Commons at the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center on Monday, April 7, at 2 p.m. A reception is to follow in the Meyerson Conference Center.
Ms. Kerbel was associate director for public services in the University Libraries. She died from cancer on April 4, 2007 at the age of 50 (Almanac April 24, 2007). She joined the Penn community in 2001 and was responsible for a wide range of user services in the Library Center and other Penn libraries. Her legacy to the University was her help in the design and construction of the Weigle Information Commons, a state-of-the-art teaching and learning facility.
To Report A Death
Almanac appreciates being informed of the deaths of current and former faculty and staff members, students, and other members of the University community.
However, notices of alumni deaths should be directed to the Alumni Records Office at Room 545, Franklin Building, (215) 898-8136 or e-mail record@ben.dev.upenn.edu. |
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