{"id":375,"date":"2011-10-14T09:09:00","date_gmt":"2011-10-14T16:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hub.wsu.edu\/in-memoriam\/?p=375"},"modified":"2024-08-12T09:59:16","modified_gmt":"2024-08-12T16:59:16","slug":"john-gorham-46-dvm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hub.wsu.edu\/in-memoriam\/john-gorham-46-dvm\/","title":{"rendered":"John Gorham, ’46 DVM"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

December 19, 1922 – October 14, 2011<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

John Richard Gorham, a resident of Pullman, Wash. for 69 years, died on Oct. 14, 2011, at his Bishop Place residence where he had lived for the past six years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gorham was born on Dec. 19, 1922 to Richard and Mae Gorham in Puyallup, Wash. He was reared and educated in Sumner, Wash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following graduation from Sumner High School, he attended Washington State College (now Washington State University) where he was a member of the freshman basketball team. He received a Bachelor\u2019s Degree, and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from WSC. He also received a Master\u2019s degree, the first given at Washington State University in Veterinary Medicine. In 1952 he received a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While at WSC, he met and married Mary Ellen Martin on May 23, 1944. During WW II he served in the U.S. Army, while completing veterinary school. Gorham also served in the U.S Army Reserve as a major and continued to serve in the U.S Reserve Veterinary Corp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following graduation, he was employed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and was research leader for animal diseases at Pullman. He held this position until 1995, when he retired from the USDA. At the time of his death, he remained a Professor in the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine. In 2011, he was named a WSU Diamond Donor for 50 years of contributions to the WSU Foundation. He and his wife are honored with a sidewalk plaque along the Walk of Fame in downtown Pullman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gorham was a charter member of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists, a charter member of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine and an honorary member of the American College of Veterinary Pathology. He was elected to membership in the National Academies of Practice and was an overseas member of the British Royal Society of Medicine as well as the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science. He was the author or co-author of more than 700 publications. Two virus strains are named after Gorham; cell-adapted Aleutian Disease virus and a distemper virus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gorham was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Zeta. He also was a past president of the Cougar Club, a member of the WSU Foundation and a retired member of Good Fellowship. In 1975, he led the first veterinary delegation to the Soviet Union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gorham received many honors during his lifetime including the Gaines Medal and also the International Veterinary Award given by the American Veterinary Medical Association, Veterinarian of the Year Award from the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association, the Washington State University Alumni Achievement Award, Fur Farming Industry\u2019s Hall of Fame, and the USDA\u2019s Distinguished Scientist of the Year in 1991. He was the first veterinarian inducted into the USDA Agricultural Research Service Hall of Fame and to receive the Regents\u2019 Distinguished Alumnus Award, Washington State University\u2019s highest alumni honor. He also was named a Legend in Veterinary Medicine, was initiated into the USDA\u2019s Hall of Fame and he received the Gold Headed Cane award from the Society for Veterinary Epidemiology. In 2007, after he retired he received the American Veterinary Medical Association\u2019s Lifetime Excellence in Research Award given to one veterinarian in the United States each years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During his lifetime, Gorham traveled to more than 50 countries to advise foreign research programs. He represented the United States as chairman of the Biotechnology Committee of the World Health Organization and was on other international committees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 used for immunization of at least 20 million mink worldwide each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was an enthusiastic gardener, enjoyed fishing and camping and he traveled extensively in a Born Free motor home. He was a Ham radio operator (W7MEH), a hobby he started when he was in high school. He was an ardent supporter of WSU\u2019s football and basketball programs and seldom missed Pac-10 home games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His philosophy was expressed in the many lectures he gave and summarized here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n