Articles

Retired SU Dean von Dran Dies at 60; Cause of Death for the Former School of Information Studies Dean is Unknown

The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York)
July 24, 2007 Tuesday
Final Edition
Byline: By Pam Lundborg Staff writer
Section: Local; Pg. B1
Length: 323 words

The recently retired dean of Syracuse University's School of Information Studies died Monday, the university said. Students and faculty held a memorial service Monday for Raymond F. von Dran in Hendricks Chapel.

Von Dran, 60, died in New York City. The exact cause of his death is unknown, said SU spokeswoman Sara Mortimer. He had been admitted to New York Presbyterian Hospital shortly before his death.

Von Dran, of DeWitt, served as dean of the school of information studies from 1995 to this year. In March 2006, he announced his retirement, effective this summer. After a year of administrative leave, during which time he planned on traveling the world with his wife, Gisela, he planned to return to SU as a professor.

"It is so very difficult to fully convey my feelings of shock and sadness at Ray von Dran's passing," SU Chancellor Nancy Cantor said in a prepared statement. "The entire SU community is mourning the loss of a remarkably vibrant and talented man who gave so much to his colleagues and students at SU and to his profession."

Last month, Syracuse University named Elizabeth Liddy, a trustee professor in the School of Information Studies, as the school's interim dean, effective July 15.

Before joining SU, von Dran served as dean at University of North Texas. Before that, he was dean at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

While in Washington, he was a senior consultant to the Library of Congress, served on the National Database Design Project and served as consultant to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.

He received a doctorate in information science, master's degrees in library science and European history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and bachelor's degrees in foreign languages and history from Seton Hall University.

He is survived by his wife and a daughter, Beth.

Pam Lundborg can be reached at plundborg@syracuse.com or 470-3033.

Load-Date: July 25, 2007
Language: English
Graphic: PHOTO NO CREDIT Raymond F. von Dran
Document-Type: OBITUARY
Publication-Type: Newspaper