Farewell to Two Inspirational Veterinarians
FUR COMMISSION USA PRESS RELEASE, NOVEMBER 5, 2011
Farewell to Two Inspirational Veterinarians
RIP John Gorham and Bruce Hunter
October 2011 was a sad month indeed for the North American fur industry, as well as for the legions of fellow veterinarians, researchers, students, friends and family members whose lives were touched by Dr. John Gorham and Dr. Bruce Hunter. The following obituaries were compiled from a number of sources. Please contact FCUSA if there are any errors or if you would like to see additional information included.
Dr. John Richard Gorham, (Dec. 19, 1922 – Oct. 14, 2011)
Dr. John Gorham passed away of age-related causes on Oct. 14, 2011, at the age of 88. He was an internationally renowned veterinarian and authority on nutrition and viral diseases in furbearers and canines, whose contribution to the North American mink industry is unsurpassed.
Born to Richard and Mae Gorham in Puyallup, WA, John was a life-long resident of Washington, including 69 years in Pullman.
Following graduation from Sumner High School, he attended Washington State College (now University) where he received a bachelor’s degree, DVM and master’s degree. In 1952 he received a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin.
During World War II, he served in the Army while attending veterinary school. He also served in the Army Reserve as a major and continued to serve in the Army Reserve Veterinary Corps.
Following graduation, he was employed by the US Department of Agriculture as research leader for animal diseases at Pullman, a position he held until his retirement from the USDA in 1995.
For the remainder of his life, he held the position of professor in the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine. In 2011 he was named a WSU Diamond Donor for 50 years of contributing to the WSU Foundation. He and his wife have a plaque in the Walk of Fame in downtown Pullman.
He was a charter member of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists, a charter member of the American College of Laboratory Medicine, and an honorary member of the American College of Veterinary Pathology. He also held memberships in the National Academies of Practice, the British Royal Society of Medicine, and the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science.
During his lifetime, John traveled to more than 50 countries to advise foreign research programs, and served on several international committees including representing the US as chairman of the Biotechnology Committee of the World Health Organization.
He was a world authority on fur animal and canine diseases and contributed significantly to slow virus disease research. His most important contributions included discovery of a new rickettsial disease of dogs, control of nutritional diseases of mink, laboratory tests for dog and mink diseases, and a spray vaccine still used today to immunize millions of mink each year.
John authored or co-authored some 600 publications in the areas of viral, bacterial, genetic, and nutritional diseases, and across clinical, applied, and basic research, and had two virus strains named for him, Aleutian disease and distemper.
His career was marked with many awards, both from farmer associations and from fellow veterinarians.
From mink farming associations, honors were bestowed by the Olympic Fur Breeder Association, Minnesota Fur Breeders, the Mink Farmers Research Foundation, and the Canadian Fur Breeders Association.
From his fellow veterinarians and academics, the list of honors was both long and distinguished:
• 1970: Gaines Medal from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) for landmark research into acute viral diseases of dogs;
• 1983: Regents’ Distinguished Alumnus Award, the highest honor granted by WSU to alumni;
• 1985: XII International Veterinary Congress Award from the AVMA;
• 1985: Distinguished Service Award from the USDA for his legacy of research on acute and slow viral diseases of domestic animals, notably equine infectious anemia, Aleutian disease in mink, and distemper in dogs and mink.
• Distinguished Scientist of the Year, from the USDA;
• 1993: Inducted into the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service Science Hall of Fame (the first veterinarian to be so honored);
• 2001: Gold-Headed Cane award from the American Veterinary Epidemiological Society, for landmark contributions in the study of mink, fox, dog, horse, sheep and goat diseases.
• 2007: Lifetime Excellence in Research Award from the AVMA.
By the time John finally retired from WSU as Professor of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, he had held the longest tenure of any faculty member in the history of the college. To honor his legacy of teaching, research and service, the Dr. John R. Gorham Fellowship in Veterinary Medicine was established for graduate students of animal diseases. To make a gift to the Fellowship contact Lynne Haley, Washington State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 647010, Pullman, WA 99164-7010; Tel: (509) 335-5021; e-mail: lhaley@vetmed.wsu.edu
John is survived by his wife of 67 years, Mary Ellen, daughter Katherine, son Jay, and granddaughters Lindsay Thompson and Casey.
Douglas Bruce Hunter (Aug. 3, 1950 – Oct. 19, 2011)
Dr. Bruce Hunter passed away on Oct. 19, 2011, at the age of 61. He was a leading veterinarian in the fields of avian and furbearer disease, and an integral part of the Canadian mink industry, serving as director of research for the Canada Mink Breeders Association.
After obtaining his DVM in 1974 from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), University of Saskatchewan, he spent several years in practice before returning to WCVM to obtain his MSc. in Avian/Wildlife Pathology.
From 1978 to 1981, he worked as a diagnostic veterinary pathologist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food at the Veterinary Services Laboratory, specializing in birds and furbearers.
In 1981 he was awarded Specialty status in Veterinary Pathology by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, and in the same year joined the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, as an assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Studies.
In 1984, he joined the university’s Department of Pathobiology, from which he retired as a full professor some three decades later, in September 2011.
His broad areas of interest covered avian pathology, diseases of furbearers, wildlife diseases and ecosystem health, while his main areas of research were diseases of wild birds (especially raptors), domestic poultry, and farmed mink. Recent research was focused on biosecurity in the feather and mink industries, humane methods for mass bird destruction in the event of a national emergency, and calicivirus enteritis in mink.
Bruce was extensively published, with two of his most valued contributions being as editor of Mink: Biology, Health and Disease (1996) and Infectious and Parasitic Diseases of Wild Birds (2007).
Bruce was a director of the Wild Bird Clinic that operated as part of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and served as a focus for veterinary student learning and research, as well as a related public education program through which thousands of talks on ecology and wildlife conservation have been given to school children and to the general public. This education program has survived the closure of the veterinary aspect of the program and continues as Wild Ontario. On a broader scale, Bruce was also involved in promoting environmental conservation through the development of public school programs, and was presented with several awards for these efforts.
Bruce served as a director of the Poultry Industry Council, represented the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) on several committees involved with developing Codes of Practice for raising farm animals (including mink), and was secretary/treasurer of the Ontario Association of Poultry Practitioners.
Professional associations in which Bruce was a member included the CVMA, the Canadian Association of Veterinary Pathologists, the American Association of Avian Pathologists, the Wildlife Disease Association, the World Poultry Association, and the Poultry Science Association.
Bruce is survived by wife Daina, children Lija (Mike) Tovell, Freya (friend Josh), Nikki (Jarrett) Carty, grandchildren Halle and Owen Tovell, Jacob Hunter and “one to be”, mother Mina, mother-in-law Omi, sister Lenore (Peter Coad), sister and brother-in-law Aida and Daniel Crosthwaite, nephews William, Christian and Robert, and niece Lara with son Brant.
