In Memoriam

Atieno Odhiambo (1945-2009)

Atieno Odhiambo, a professor of history who was the first black faculty member awarded tenure at Rice University, has died in his native Kenya at the age of 63. He returned to Kenya late last year after he had been diagnosed with a degenerative illness.

A graduate of Makerere University in Uganda, he first came to the United States as a Fulbright Scholar. After earning his Ph.D. at the University of Nairobi, Professor Odhiambo taught at Stanford University and Johns Hopkins University before accepting a tenured position at Rice in 1989.

Walter J. Sapp (1933-2009)

Walter J. Sapp, who worked as an administrator and as a member of the faculty at Tuskegee University for more than 40 years, died late last month at a hospital in Montgomery, Alabama. He was 75 years old.

After earning a Ph.D. in biology at the University of Wisconsin, in 1966 Professor Sapp was hired to teach biology at Tuskegee. He also served as dean of student affairs, associate provost, and assistant dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Sapp was also the associate director of the university’s Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care.

Copyright © 2009. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.