Dale P. Pattison obituary

Dr. Dale P. Pattison, a retired Western Michigan University faculty member, died April 16. He was 83.

Pattison joined the WMU faculty in 1963 and retired as associate professor emeritus of history in 1995 after 32 years of service to the University.

He was an accomplished scholar in British intellectual and Latin American history and for a time, co-directed WMU's Oxford Seminar Series, leading groups of students to study at Oxford University in England.

Pattison, who lived in Kalamazoo, inspired legions of students but received his greatest satisfaction from introducing undergraduates to the arts and cultural ideas rather than to history.

Prior to coming to WMU, he taught history at Grosse Pointe High School and while there, received a John Hay Whitney Fellowship at Yale University as one of the nation's distinguished teachers.

Pattison earned a bachelor's degree from WMU in 1953, a master's degree from the University of Chicago in 1955 and a doctoral degree from UC in 1970.

He graduated from WMU's State High School in 1946 and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, subsequently serving three years in Subic Bay, Philippines. In 1971, he was elected to the Kalamazoo Public Schools Board of Education.

Funeral services

Funeral services will take place at 2 p.m. Friday, April 20, in the Langeland Family Funeral Home, 3926 S. 9th St. in Kalamazoo.

Memorial contributions may be made to the WMU Foundation, 1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5403, and directed to the Dr. Dale P. Pattison Memorial Scholarship Fund, which supports undergraduate history students.

Visit langelands.com to make a memorial guestbook entry.