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Dr. Billy Smith
Dr. Billy A. Smith, an instructor at the School of Dentistry for more than 20 years and interim director of periodontics from 1987-89, Born in Burt, Mich., in 1924, Smith served in the U.S. Army from 1943-46 and later attended the School of Dentistry, where he earned his dental degree in 1952. He left U-M to practice dentistry in Montrose, Mich., until 1961.
That year, he returned to the University to begin working on his graduate degree, which he earned in 1963 with a master's in periodontics.
In the spring 1990 issue of Alumni News, Smith said he came back to U-M after speaking with Dr. Donald Kerr. "He's the one who brought me back into education from my practice," Smith said. " ... He was the motivator. He was very important in my life."
Smith began teaching at the School of Dentistry in 1963. He was a clinical instructor, a clinical instructor in periodontics, and a clinical assistant professor.
In 1977, Smith left teaching to devote time to his periodontics practice in Saginaw. But he didn't stay out of teaching very long.
At the urging of some of his colleagues, Smith returned to the School of Dentistry in 1982 to become an associate professor. He was named interim director of periodontics in 1987 and held the position for two years.
After serving as a visiting professor at the University of Bern in Switzerland in 1989, Smith retired the following year.
In addition to teaching, Smith was active in numerous professional organizations, including the American Academy of Periodontology, the Midwest Society of Periodontists, the Michigan Society of Periodontics, the American and Michigan dental associations, and other local organizations.
Paul Carter
Paul Carter, professor emeritus of education at U-M-Dearborn, died Feb. 2, 2006 at his winter home in Young Harris, Ga. He was 92.
He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving as lieutenant colonel in the European Theatre during World War II.
Beginning in 1930, Hunter spent the next decade at U-M, where he earned a bachelor's and master's degree. He taught at Central Michigan University and returned to U-M in 1946 as a professor of social gerontology. During that time, Hunter received meritorious awards for his contributions to the field of gerontology. He participated in the 1971 White House Conference on Aging and was named to the Department of Labor Expert Committee on Aging. He retired in 1978.
Family and friends remember Hunter for his never-ending kindness and generosity. His life's work carried over to personal concern and care for many aging friends and family members. He offered wisdom and comfort and hope to those in need.
An avid gardener and builder of rock walls, Hunter found beauty in all nature. His gardens and rock walls grace the hills of Leelanau County and beyond.
He was died Jan. 18, 2006 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Santa Ana, Calif.
Schafer served in World War II in the Air Force and later attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he received a master of arts in 1950 and doctorate in 1954. His field of study in graduate school was British history.
Schafer began his professional career as a lecturer in history at the California Institute of Technology (1953-54). He taught at Stanford University in 1955-56 before accepting the position of assistant professor of history at the Flint College of U-M in 1956-the year the senior college was founded. Schafer, who with Dorothea Wyatt taught all courses offered by the history department until 1965, was named associate professor in 1962 and professor in 1967.
He retired in 1989 to San Clemente, Calif.
While chair of the Department of History Schafer mentored younger colleagues who remember him as a wise, fair and humorous guide in the world of scholarship, academe and service to the Flint community.
Schafer was involved in all facets of university life. In addition to teaching, he served on numerous committees, including the Executive Committee, and three times as chairman of the history department. During the school's early years, he was an advisor to several student groups and brought in speakers to discuss international understanding and foreign cultures. Near the end of his career, Schafer organized the U-M-Flint archives and, to a large degree, was responsible for its funding.
During his tenure at U-M-Flint, Schafer authored eight monographs on local history, including "Charles Stewart Mott of Applewood: A Memoir" (1984); "J. Dallas Dort Citizen Compleat" (1986); "Producing a Human Mosaic: Immigration and Economic Change In the Development of Genesee County's Population" (1989); and "A History of the University of Michigan-Flint" (1990).
After his retirement, Schafer joined the docent team at Mission San Juan Capistrano, where he delighted in guiding grade-school children. He organized and digitized the mission's document collection and authored "Toroni and Nu, Native Americans of the Mission San Juan Capistrano in the Colonial Period, 1776-1848" (2004).
James Wendel
James Gutwillig Wendel, emeritus professor of mathematics, born April 18, 1922, in Portland, where he lived until graduating from Reed College in 1943. His collegiate years were interrupted by World War II, during which he contributed work on defense-related projects, including a stint in the laboratory of two-time Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling-one of the leading chemists of the 20th century.
Following completion of his doctorate in mathematics at California Technical University in 1948, Wendel had academic appointments at Yale and Louisiana State universities prior to moving to Ann Arbor in 1955 to join the U-M faculty. He was named professor in 1961 and retired in 1987.
Wendel served as associate chair of the Department of Mathematics for 11 years. He also was a member of the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs and its vice-chairman in 1966-67.
A researcher in the area of probability, he was a popular lecturer who received many invitations from abroad, and was a visiting professor in Denmark, England, Australia and Israel. Following his retirement, Wendel moved to Palo Alto, Calif., where he stayed until 2000, when he returned to Portland.
Wendel was died in 2000. He is survived by his sister, Susan Black of Lake Oswego, Ore.; six children, Nancy Temple of Davis, Calif.; Robert Wendel of Sacramento, Calif.; Peter Wendel of Portland; Jonathan Wendel of Ames, Iowa; Margaret Rubinstein of Carlsbad, Calif.; Laura Duregon of Portland; and 12 grandchildren.
Donations to honor Wendel may be sent to Reed College, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd., Portland, OR, 97202-8199.
