Willis W. Armistead
Dr. Willis W. Armistead of Knoxville, Tenn., a former AVMA president, died April 18, 2006, at the age of 89. Retired in 1987 as emeritus vice president of the University of Tennessee, he was the founding dean of the UT College of Veterinary Medicine and, before that, dean of the veterinary colleges at Texas A&M (1953-1957) and Michigan State (1957-1974) universities.
The UT College of Veterinary Medicine renamed its teaching hospital the Dr. W.W. Armistead Veterinary Teaching Hospital in his honor in August 2005 and unveiled the dedication plaque this February.
A central figure in creation of the college, Dr. Armistead was retained as a consultant by the state of Tennessee to study the feasibility of establishing a veterinary college. He drafted the 1973 report that became the foundation for the college a year later, and served as dean from 1974-1979. Then he was appointed vice president for agriculture, overseeing the operations of the veterinary college, College of Agriculture, Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station, and Agricultural Extension Service.
Dr. Armistead was president of the AVMA in 1957-1958. During his presidential address, he told the House of Delegates: “The AVMA is a professional association, not a labor union. It is a fraternal society, not a police organization; a scientific body, not a ‘pressure group.’ Its primary purpose is to advance the cause of the profession in the public interest, not secure a monopoly for its members.”
For the next 10 years, Dr. Armistead served on the AVMA Judicial Council. His outstanding contributions to the advancement of the profession won him the AVMA Award in 1977. After his retirement from UT, he continued to share his observations with the profession in a JAVMA column called “From My Armchair: W.W. Armistead.” In the feature, which ran from 1997-2002, he reflected on subjects that included curriculum reform, ethics, professionalism, and communication.
Dr. Armistead received his DVM degree from Texas A&M University in 1938, as well as a master’s degree from The Ohio State University and a doctorate from the University of Minnesota.
He entered private practice in Dallas before serving in World War II as a captain in the Army Veterinary Corps, stationed in the United States and Italy. After the war, he pursued a long academic career during which he authored more than 200 published articles. In 1960, he was appointed national consultant in veterinary medicine to the Air Force Surgeon General.
Dr. Armistead was a past president of the Texas VMA and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, and founding editor of the Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, the official AAVMC publication. He was an honorary diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine.
In 1973, Dr. Armistead became the first veterinarian elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. His other honors included the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Texas A&M, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Tennessee VMA, and recognition as an honorary alumnus of MSU.
Dr. Armistead is survived by his wife, Mary Wallace, and four children: Jack Armistead, Cookeville, Tenn.; Kirk Nelson, Jackson, Miss.; Karen McFarlan, Belmont, Mass.; and Sidney Dixcy, Ada, Mich.
Memorials may be made to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation, Dept. 20-1122, P.O. Box 5940, Carol Stream, IL 60197-5940; the Armistead Veterinary Medicine Award Endowment, c/o Office of Development, University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, 2407 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996-4550; the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, College Station, TX 77843-4461; or the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, East Lansing, MI 48824-1314.