OBITUARY William Neill Hubbard Jr. October 15, 1919 – November 12, 2018 William Neill Hubbard, Jr., M.D., cherished patriarch of his loving family, former Dean of the Medical School at the University of Michigan and President of The Upjohn Company, went to his heavenly home on Monday, November 12, 2018. Dr. Hubbard was born in Fairmont, N.C., on October 15, 1919, the son of William and Emma Hubbard. He received a B.A. degree from Columbia University.
His first two years of medical school were completed at the University of North Carolina and his M.D. was awarded by the New York University School of Medicine in 1944. He served his residency on the N.Y.U. Medical Division of Bellevue Hospital and joined the faculty in 1949, rising to Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Medicine. In 1959 he was appointed Dean of the Medical School at the University of Michigan and held that position until 1970, when he resigned the positions of Dean, Director of the Medical Center and Professor of Medicine to accept the position of Vice President and General Manager of the Pharmaceutical Division of The Upjohn Company.
He served as President of Upjohn from 1974 until his retirement in 1984. He was a member of the Board of Directors of Upjohn from 1968-1991. An unconditional love of his family and a lifelong commitment to giving of himself in providing for their well-being defined Dr. Hubbard.
He was preceded in death by his wife Elizabeth and his son Michael. He is survived by his wife Joyce, his son William (Julia Laue) Hubbard, daughters Mary Emma Hubbard-Dodd, Elizabeth Anne (Buz) Mattson, Susan (Glenn) Farquhar and Shannon (Jeremiah) Smith, ten grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Deeply devoted to his Christian faith, he was also a persistent seeker of more understanding of that faith as it applied to his daily life.
He enjoyed reading, especially about medicine, science and religion, and saw the harmony between science and faith. Dr. Hubbard responded to many calls for his service. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy appointed him to a four term on the Board of Regents of the National Library of Medicine, of which he was Chairman for three years.
In 1972, President Richard M. Nixon made Dr. Hubbard the first person to be appointed to a second term as Regent of the library where again he served as Chair for three years. In 1974, President Gerald Ford appointed Dr. Hubbard to the Board of the National Science Foundation. He also served on the Boards of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Kalamazoo College, Bronson Methodist Hospital, Columbia University, the Association of American Medical Schools, the National Board of Medical Examiners and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association.
His memberships included the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. A private service for the family will be held with interment in North Carolina. A visitation will be held from 6 to 8pm on Monday, November 19th at Langeland Family Funeral Homes, Westside Chapel, 3926 South 9th Street and a church service will be held at 2pm on Tuesday, November 20th at First Presbyterian Church of Richland, 8047 Church Street, with Rev.
Dr. Mark W. Jennings officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the church endowment fund.
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