Oswald H. Ganley, scientist, diplomat and clinician
died April 8,2024 at the age of 95.
He was born in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and came to the United States in 1947 at the age of 18.
He received his Bachelor degree from Hope College and earned PhD degree from the University of Michigan medical school in medical microbiology and physiology In 1953. He served in the US Army from 1953 – 1955. He was stationed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Department of Experimental Surgery where he met his wife to be Gladys Dickens.
After some 10 years in the Research labs at Merck he went back to school and received a MPA degree in political economy and foreign affairs from Harvard Kennedy School. This moved him to the US government, first as Special assistant to the Science Director of AID, then to the Department of State and the foreign service. He rose to the personal rank of Minister Counselor. His last assignment was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for science and technology affairs, and principle Diplomatic Advisor to the Presidents Science Advisor. He served as Counselor for science and technology at Embassies Bucharest and Rome.
On change of Administrations in 1978, he left the government to accept an appointment at the Harvard Kennedy School as a Lecturer in Public Policy and Executive Director for international affairs at the Harvard Program for Information Resources Policy (1978 to 1994)
After retirement from Harvard in 1994 he followed his long-term dream of working directly with patients. He started Physician Assistant school in 1994 at age 65. He then joined Duke University cardiology practice as a PA for about 5 years. For the next 15 years he devoted his life to providing pro bono medical care to those afflicted with addictive diseases and the poor without insurance at Healing Transitions and Urban Ministries in Raleigh NC. As a volunteer he actively sought to help PA’s with addictive disorders. He retired at age 86 from active patient care.
He was active at his church, The Church of Reconciliation, Presbyterian USA in Chapel Hill North Carolina where he served as an elder.
He was happily married for 50 years to Gladys M. Dickens of Loudon County Virginia. She predeceased him in 2003. They had 2 children Robert Ganley and Delia Anne Read. Gladys was a writer and editor and the two wrote several books together on the evolving international politics due to changes in communications and computing. (To Inform or To Control). He remarried in 2018 to Norma (Liza) Farmer. After their divorce in 2012 they remained close friends.
Oswald is survived by his son Robert. His daughter Delia Anne preceded him in death