| Name | William F. Bridgers Papers |
| Dates | 1965-2000 |
| Extent | 1.75 cubic feet |
| Historical Note | William F. "Bill" Bridgers (1932-2006) was the founding dean of the UAB School of Public Health. He was born in Asheville, North Carolina and received his undergraduate education at the University of the South. He first enrolled at Duke University and studied biochemistry for one year before deciding to attend medical school. Bridgers attended the Washington University School of Medicine and graduated cum laude in 1959. He completed an internship and a residency in internal medicine at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. and joined the faculty of the Washington medical school. In 1968 Dr. Bridgers came to UAB as an associate professor of pediatrics; he was later appointed as the first director of the university's neurosciences program. In 1972 he was named Special Assistant to UAB's Vice President for Health Affairs and in 1976 he was appointed as the chair of the Department of Public Health. The Department was jointly administered by the School of Medicine and the School of Community and Allied Health. Bridgers led the efforts to advance the program and in 1978 the academic department received national accreditation as a public health school. In May of 1981 the new School of Public Health was approved by the University of Alabama Board of Trustees and Dr. Bridgers was named as the School's first dean. He stepped down from the deanship in 1989 but he remained in the School as a professor and as the director of the Lister Hill Center for Health Policy. Dr. Bridgers retired from UAB in 1999 and was named dean emeritus and university scholar emeritus by the Board of Trustees. In 1999 the Bill and Judy Bridgers Endowed Scholarship Fund was established to honor the School's founding dean and his wife. In 2005 the UAB National Alumni Association named Dr. Bridgers as the Honorary Alumnus of the Year. William F. "Bill" Bridgers died in Birmingham at the age of 74; he was survived by his wife, by four children, and by seven grandchildren. |
| Scope and Contents | Collection contains correspondence, reprints, and a manuscript of Bridgers' memoirs. |
| Arrangement | Alphabetical |
| Accession Number | A2013-02 |
| Provenance | Donated to UAB in the summer of 2013 by the widow of Dr. Bridgers. |
| Copyright | The UAB Archives owns the copyright to some of the material and maintains its proprietary rights to all material in this collection. |
| Fnding Aid | Printed descriptive guide by Jennfer L. Beck and Tim L. Pennycuff available in repository. |
| Access Points | Bridgers, William F., q (William Frank), d 1932-2006. University of Alabama at Birmingham. University of Alabama in Birmingham. Deans (Education). Public health. |
| Document Types | Certificates. Correspondence. Manuscript. Reprints. |
| Location | Manuscript Stacks |
| Related Series | Record Series 13.1, Dean's Administrative Records, 1963-1993 |
| Physical Condition | Acid free folder, acid free box |
This page created 2015
Copyright: The University of Alabama Board of Trustees.