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William H. Knisely was born in Houghton, Michigan on February 3, 1922. After studying at the University of Chicago and the University of Brussels, he received a PhD from the Medical College of South Carolina in 1954. Dr. Knisely served as professor of anatomy at Duke University and the University of Kentucky (where he was also chair of the anatomy department). Dr. Knisely was also the Director of the Institute of Biology and Medicine at the University of Michigan, in addition to being the Vice Chancellor of Health Affairs for the University of Texas System. Dr. Knisely was a member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Association of Anatomists, the South Carolina Medical Association, and the American Medical Association. He authored or co-authored more than thirty scientific papers in journals such as Endocrinology, the American Journal of Physiology, and the Annals of Internal Medicine. Dr. Knisely's professional awards include the MUSC Sesquicentennial Distinguished Alumnus Award and the University of Oklahoma Medical Alumni Association Friend of Medicine Award. Professional achievements include serving as the Commissioner of the Navajo Health Authority, Chair of the Advisory Board of the American Dietetic Association, and Chairman of the Program Planning Committee of the National Advisory Council on Education for Health Resources of the Public Health Service. After being hired as Academic Vice President and President Elect in 1974, he was officially made President of MUSC in December of 1975. Dr. Knisely served as MUSC President until 1982, leaving South Carolina to become Executive Associate Dean and Professor of Anatomy at the University Of Oklahoma College of Medicine. He retired in 1993. Dr. Knisely married Marguerite Marie Labasse, whom he met in France while serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, in 1947, and had five children. He died on May 7, 2004.