Jerome Duggan (’55, '56 M.A.), 81, Professor Emeritus of physics, died Aug. 31 in Denton. He served on the physics faculty from 1973 to 2012. He earned his North Texas degrees in physics and a doctorate from Louisiana State University. Before coming to UNT, he was an assistant professor at the University of Georgia and then worked at the Oak Ridge Associated Universities.

He started the International Conference on the Application of Accelerators in Research and Industry in 1968 and brought the biennial conference with him to UNT, where it drew the world's top physicists to disucss the applications of particle accelerators. He attended the 23rd conference this year in San Antonio as Conference Chair Emeritus.

He received the UNT President’s Award in 1987. He was awarded a special medal at the 1995 meeting of the Particle Induced X-Ray Emission Conference in Padua, Italy. He was made a fellow of the American Physical Society in 2000.

Memorials can be made to: the Dr. Jerome L. Duggan Memorial Scholarship in Physics at the UNT Foundation, 1155 Union Circle No. 311250, Denton, TX 76203 or donate online.

Warren Watson, 67, Regents Professor of management, died July 6 in Denton. He joined UNT in 1983. He was recognized nationally and internationally for his research in international business, entrepreneurship and organizational culture. He taught classes on organizational behavior and organizational design and change. He also was director of the UNT Group for Organizational Effectiveness, a business consulting service. In 2003, he developed a small business support center with the Universidad de Colima in Mexico, providing education and consulting for international small businesses. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University, two master’s degrees from East Texas State University and his doctorate from the University of Oklahoma.

Randy Wallace (’02 M.S.), 47, an associate librarian in the Eagle Commons Library, died July 1 in Denton. Wallace joined the UNT libraries in 2003 after receiving his master’s degree in library science at UNT. He also worked in the library at Discovery Park. Wallace received a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico. His interests included spending time with his children, watching the San Francisco Giants and enjoying craft beer, kayaking and many games.

Robert Sherman LaForte, 80, Professor Emeritus of history, died July 11 in Galveston. LaForte joined the history faculty in 1968 and served as chair of the department, retiring in 1998. He established the UNT archives in 1975. LaForte co-wrote several books about World War II — Remembering Pearl Harbor: Eyewitness Accounts by U.S. Military Men and Women, Building the Death Railway: The Ordeal of American POWs in Burma, 1942-45 and With Only the Will to Live: Accounts of Americans in Japanese Prison Camps, 1941-45 — as well as an authorized history of UNT’s first 100 years, Down the Corridor of Years: A Centennial History of the University of North Texas in Photographs, 1890-1990. In 2002, he donated his collection of hundreds of books by and about World War II prisoners of war to UNT’s archives. In 1994, he received the ’Fessor Graham Award, which students give to outstanding faculty members. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Pittsburg State University and a doctorate from the University of Kansas and later added a master’s degree in library science from the University of Texas. He served in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1956.

George L. Cook, 64, former scene shop supervisor for the Department of Dance and Theatre, died July 31. He retired in 2011. He spent much of his career behind the scenes of productions in Austin and North Texas. He built sets for movies such as The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Silkwood, served on the staff of the TV show Austin City Limits, worked as a stagehand for concerts in Austin and Dallas and helped on productions at UNT and the University of Texas at Austin.

Hugh Ayer, 90, Professor Emeritus of history and former associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, died July 14 in Denton. Ayer taught American history at North Texas from 1958 to 1986. His duties included serving as chair of the division of social science and, in 2004, he received the Honorary Alumni Award, given to individuals who were never students at UNT but showed outstanding devotion to the university. A scholarship was set up in his name that supports entering freshmen. Ayer was active in many organizations outside UNT, serving on the Denton City Council and Planning and Zoning Board. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Western Kentucky University and his master’s degree and doctorate from Indiana University. He taught at Culver Military Academy before coming to North Texas. As a member of the U.S. Naval Reserve from 1943 to 1945, he served as a radio operator in the Pacific Theater, intercepting Japanese naval communications. He also served in the reserve from 1950 to 1959.

Gerard A. O’Donovan, 76, professor of biological sciences, died Feb. 19. He had taught at UNT since 1984, serving as chair of the biology department from 1984 to 1999. He supported many students as a member of the Pre-Professional Advisory Committee and served as a mentor to more than 200 master’s and doctoral students during his career. He taught courses in microbiology and medical bacteriology and received numerous teaching awards.

A native of Ireland, he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at University College Cork and his doctorate at the University of California, Davis. He began his lifelong study of pyrimidine metabolism in bacteria as a postdoctoral researcher at UC-Berkeley. His research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Welch Foundation and NATO, among other organizations. Prior to joining UNT, he served on the faculty at Texas A&M University. A celebration of his life was held at UNT’s Environmental Education, Science and Technology Building.

Carolyn W. Kern, 61, Denton, associate professor of counseling who had worked at UNT since 1991, died Nov. 2. She joined the faculty after serving as a senior clinical counselor at the University Counseling Center at Oklahoma State University and also had worked as a mental health and school counselor. Her areas of expertise included college counseling, coun­selor supervision, adventure-based counseling and resilience, and she had researched suicide prevention with a grant from the U.S. Depart­ment of Health and Human Services. She received numerous distinguished service awards from professional counseling organiza­tions and was the immediate past president of the Texas Counseling Association and a fellow and former board member of the American Counseling Association. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the Uni­versity of Kansas, a master’s from Emporia State University and a doctorate from Oklahoma State University. Memorials may be made to support future counseling stu­dents’ scholarships through the Carolyn & Doug Kern Scholarship Fund at UNT.

Edward R. ‘Ed’ Johnson, 72, died April 25. Johnson was director of libraries at North Texas from 1979 to 1987 and an adjunct faculty member in library and information sciences. He was a graduate of the University of Colorado and earned master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Wisconsin. At North Texas, he was responsible for the libraries at a time when the card catalog was being computerized and the Rare Book Room opened. He also worked at the University of Colorado, the University of Iowa and Pennsylvania State University, and he retired from Oklahoma State University, where he was Doris Neustadt Professor and dean of libraries. He published several journal articles and two books and was active in the Texas Library Association, where he was a member of the executive board, and the Oklahoma Library Association, which he served as president. OLA gave him its highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, in 2004 and honored him as a Library Legend during the state’s 2007 centennial celebrations. He loved fishing, especially fly-fishing, and was interested in Southwest history and archaeology.

David A. Kimbell Sr., 83, member of the Board of Regents from 1963 to 1969, died Feb. 23 in Wichita Falls. He earned a petroleum geology degree from the University of Oklahoma and established Alan Drilling Co. before joining Burk Royalty Co. as a geologist and exploration manager. He became president of Burk in 1962. Appointed a regent by Gov. John Connally, he was involved in the development of the UNT campus, working on the university master plan and chairing the committee that studied plans for the Coliseum. He also was president and chair of the board of the Boys and Girls Club of Wichita Falls and served on various bank boards in the North Texas region. He managed and operated ranches in Texas and Oklahoma and managed a large cattle property in Queensland, Australia.