In Memoriam: Faculty & Friends
Notices sorted by graduation date
William Revere “Bill” Carriker of Charlottesville died Dec. 4, 2016. Mr. Carriker was instrumental in the growth and status of the University’s special education program at the Curry School of Education. A pioneer in the field of special education and teacher training, Mr. Carriker received master’s and doctoral degrees in educational psychology at the University of Nebraska after graduating from Nebraska Wesleyan University. His career path led him to teach at Long Beach State College in California; to work in the U.S. Office of Education as the director of research in the Division of Handicapped Children and Youth; to become professor and head of the Department of Special Education at the Pennsylvania State University; and finally, from 1965 until retirement, to the University of Virginia, where he served as a professor in and chairman of the Department of Special Education. One career highlight included a visiting professorship at Shanghai Teaching University in China. Mr. Carriker was involved at the national level with the Council for Exceptional Children and also was elected chairman for the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. He published many articles and book chapters, served on numerous advisory boards and was an associate editor of the Journal of Exceptional Children. Honors include receiving the first Worcester Memorial Award given by the University of Nebraska Department of Educational Psychology and Measurements, the Special Huhn Barnett Award in recognition of leadership and service by the Virginia Federation of the Council for Exceptional Children, the Phi Delta Kappa Distinguished Service Award, and the National Special Education Educator of the Year Award. He represented seven national professional organizations in testimony before federal House and Senate subcommittees. He spent time volunteering in the Stephen Ministry, providing one-to-one care to people who were hurting. A lifelong football fan, Mr. Carriker followed the ups and downs of several collegiate teams. He enjoyed gardening and had a talent for cultivating stunning roses. Survivors include three children, LaRee Carriker Delahunt (Educ ’75 L/M), Cindy Carriker Dragich (Educ ’81) and Bruce Carriker (Engr ’84); and five grandchildren.
Richard “Dick” Austin Merrill of Charlottesville died Oct. 26, 2017. He graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Columbia University in 1959 and attended Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar. As a student at Columbia Law School, he served as editor-in-chief of the Columbia Law Review. He then clerked for Judge Carl McGowan on the D.C. Court of Appeals before joining the law firm of Covington & Burling. Mr. Merrill joined the faculty of the University of Virginia Law School in 1969, where he became a nationally recognized expert on administrative, environmental, and food and drug law, and co-authored casebooks and numerous academic articles on these topics. Mr. Merrill took a sabbatical from teaching from 1976 to 1978 to serve as chief counsel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, where he received the FDA Commissioner’s Special Citation and the agency’s Award of Merit. In 1980, he was selected to be the seventh dean of the UVA Law School, a position he held until 1988. Following his deanship, he returned to full-time teaching and research, in addition to serving as special counsel for Covington & Burling. He retired from the University in 2007 after 38 years of service. Mr. Merrill was among the first lawyers to be invited to join the National Academy of Sciences, where he was active in the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine); the Board on Environmental Sciences and Toxicology; and the Committee on Science, Technology and Law. He also served on the boards of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation, the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, the Food and Drug Law Institute, the Southern Environmental Law Center and the Environmental Law Institute, among others. Mr. Merrill’s influential leadership came from his compassion, quiet resolution, eloquent and fervent advocacy, intellect and, most of all, selfless modesty. He was just, candid and accessible, always listening with interest and empathy. Mr. Merrill shared his warmth, wit and wisdom with everyone he encountered, especially with family and friends. An avid sportsman, he played racquet sports his entire life and was an enthusiastic spectator of virtually any athletic competition. Donations can be made to the Elizabeth D. and Richard A. Merrill Research Professorship in Law through the UVA Law School Foundation. Survivors include his wife, Elizabeth “Lissa” Merrill; two children, including Patty Merrill (Col ’87, Law ’92 L/M); three grandchildren; and his brother.
Alexander Sedgwick of Charlottesville died July 22, 2017. He served in the U.S. Army. He attended Harvard University for his undergraduate and graduate degrees before joining the UVA history faculty in 1963, where he served in several positions. He was chairman of the Corcoran Department of History from 1979 to 1985, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from 1985 to 1990, and dean of graduate studies from 1990 to 1995. He retired in 1997. A specialist in early modern French history, his scholarship focused on religion and politics. Mr. Sedgwick is survived by his wife, Charlene; two children, including Cameron Sedgwick (Col ’87); four grandchildren; and a sister.