Dr. Bilderback remembered

A celebration of the life of Dr. Dean Loy Bilderback, professor emeritus of history, was held on Aug. 20 in the Madden Library.

Dr. Bilderback died July 4, 2004 , after a long battle with cancer. Loy was born in Enid , Okla. , on Sept. 25, 1932 , and spent his early years on a wheat farm, homesteaded by his grandparents. He began his studies at Northern Oklahoma Junior College in Ponca City , and then received his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Kansas and his Ph.D. from the University of Washington .

He joined the faculty of then-Fresno State College in 1962, and retired after 39 years. Loy was a specialist in medieval European history, and particularly Church history. His academic interests also included early work in statistics at the University of Michigan (1969), which was the nascence of his secondary scholarly pursuit in demographics, population studies, and immigration.

In 1976, Loy was a visiting scholar at the National University in Heredia , Costa Rica , Institute for population Studies (IDESPO). He co-authored the book, “The Golden Door: International Migration, Mexico , and the United States ” in 1979 with the noted biologist and long-time friend, Paul Ehrlich. As a result of that publication, Loy was called to Washington , D.C. , to testify as an expert witness before Congress on pending immigration legislation. During the early 1980s, he worked as a consultant for the Organization of American States investigating immigration issues in the Caribbean . He later became an expert in Romanesque and Gothic architecture, using an astounding array of his own photography in his teaching.

Loy was foremost a fine teacher and colleague. During his long career at Fresno State , he taught in the University's London Semester, served as chair of the history department for one semester in 2000, and directed numerous master's theses. Widely read and a keen advocate of the discipline of history, Loy was a much sought after speaker by both community and academic groups.

Loy was also a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He is survived by his wife, Colleen Mitchell, two children, Barbara and Bill Bilderback, and four grandchildren.

The family asks that remembrances be directed to either The Madden Library Book Fund (5200 N. Barton, Fresno CA 93740-8014 ) or the Hinds Hospice (1416 W. Twain, Fresno CA 93711 ).