William T. Close, M.D. Scholarship for Rural Medicine
Please address your letter to:
The Family of Dr. Close
William T. Close, M.D., was educated in England, France and the United States, and he married his wife, Bettine Moore, in 1943 when they were 18. Dr. Close graduated from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City on June 7, 1951, his 27th birthday. During World War II, he served as a troop carrier pilot in Europe and as a personal pilot and interpreter for General Harper. Dr. Close was a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. He was the recipient of an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, from the University of Utah.
Prior to settling in Big Piney, Wyo., in 1977, Dr. Close spent 16 years in Africa, arriving in the Congo just before independence. For the first year and a half, he was one of only three doctors in the capital city of Kinshasa’s 1,500-bed hospital and responsible for surgery. In 1967, he took over the management of the general hospital. In 1976, he supervised logistics for the international medical team of scientists dealing with the first Ebola epidemic outbreak in the Congo. Dr. Close is the author of Ebola: Through the Eyes of the People, a book that examines the individuals and events involved in the first epidemic. He also wrote and published three more books.
After Dr. and Mrs. Close moved to Big Piney, they hosted several medical students, including WWAMI students, during their preceptorships. Mrs. Close was known for her warm, genuine hospitality and delicious meals.
In all, Dr. Close practiced medicine for 58 years. While in his 50th year of practice, he cut back his hours and continued to see patients in what he called “a gentle, limited practice,” making many house calls, some 60 miles round-trip. Through his practice, example, teaching and writing, Dr. Close exemplified a professional ideal that combined scientific excellence with compassionate care. He died in January 2009.
