Harry A. Guess dies after battle with cancer

Guess

Harry A. Guess, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the School of Public Health and of pediatrics at the School of Medicine, died Jan. 1 after a battle with lung cancer. He was 65.

Two scholarships have been established at the School of Public Health in his memory. One, created by Merck Research Laboratories, is the Harry A. Guess – Merck Scholarship in Pharmacoepidemiology. The other, the Harry Guess Scholarship in Epidemiology, was established by his family and friends.

Guess, who received his medical degree from the University of Miami and his doctorate in mathematics from Stanford University, directed the UNC-GlaxoSmithKline Center of Excellence in Pharmacoepidemiology and Public Health.

Born Dec. 24, 1940 in New York City, Guess was the son of the late Harry A. Guess and Vista Brabham Guess. He attended the Georgia Institute of Technology on a Navy ROTC scholarship and graduated in 1964 with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He served in the U.S. Navy for five years, before earning doctorate and medical degrees.

Guess is survived by his wife of 41 years, Geraldine Guess, two daughters and a grandchild.

[University Gazette, January 11, 2006, http://gazette.unc.edu/archives/06jan11/facstaff.html]