December 1999

Obituary: Dr. William C. Johnston William C. Johnston, the first chair of George Mason's Department of Physics, died on Sunday, Oct. 17, at the age of 82. He joined George Mason as Physics chair in 1968. In 1970, he was appointed dean of the Summer Session, and he stayed in that role until his retirement in 1983. Director of the Institute of Computational Sciences and Informatics Murray Black was hired by Johnston when he was chair of Physics. "Bill helped build George Mason and was dedicated to its success," says Black. "He was a man of high integrity, honor, and compassion. He actively supported Wellspring Ministries, which is devoted to serving the needs of the severely handicapped. Bill will be missed by many friends, both in and out of our university."