William F. May (ethicist) explained

William Francis May (October 25, 1927 – October 27, 2023) was an American ethicist, academic, theologian, and ordained Presbyterian minister. His work focused primarily on questions of medical and bioethics, professional ethics in general, and public responsibility and policy.

Early life and education

May was born in Chicago, Illinois. He was the oldest of Harry S. May and Leontine Torczynski's four children. He was in the 5th grade, when his family moved to Houston, Texas where he graduated from San Jacinto High School. At San Jacinto he was a member of the 1944 UIL debate championship team. At sixteen, he was accepted to the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs with an initial intent to pursue a career in law and politics, but the sudden death of his high school debate coach shortly before he left for Princeton had a profound effect on him, leading him to the study history and philosophy.

He graduated from Princeton, Phi Beta Kappa, at the age of 20. May served as the interim pastor of a small church in Oklahoma before enrolling at the Yale Divinity School where he earned a BD degree and ultimately a PhD in contemporary theology.

Academic career

While simultaneously pursuing his doctorate at Yale, May began his teaching career in theology at Smith College. He served as Chair of the Department of Religion twice while at Smith College.

Four years after completing his doctorate, May joined Indiana University as founder and chair of a new Department of Religious Studies.

He left Indiana to assume the Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. chair as Professor of Christian Ethics at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics, Georgetown University.

In 1985, May began teaching at Southern Methodist University as Cary M. Maguire University Professor of Ethics until 2001. During his tenure at SMU, May also served as the inaugural director of the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility from 1995 to 1998.[1] [2] In 2017, the directorship of the Maguire Center for Ethics was endowed in May's name.[3]

Following his retirement from SMU, May served as a visiting professor at the Institution for Social and Policy studies, Yale University, 2000 and 2001.

He moved to Charlottesville, Virginia where he was a Fellow of the Institute for Practical Ethics and Public Life at the University of Virginia before eventually retiring entirely from writing, teaching and speaking professionally.

Other Professional Affiliations

May is a former President of the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Christian Ethics.

He was a founding fellow of The Hastings Center where he co-chaired its research group on death and dying.

He served on the Ethical Foundations subgroup for the Clinton Task Force on Health Care Reform 1993 and was a member of the President's Council on Bioethics from 2002 to 2004 [4]

In September 2007, James H. Billington named May the Cary and Ann Maguire Chair in American History and Ethics at the John W. Kluge Center. May retained the position for three months.[5] [6]

Recognition

Fellowships:

Awards:

Personal

May was married to the Broadway and Obie Award winning actress, Beverly May for over 60 years. They raised four children together.

He served as the moderator of the seasonal Randolph Church, a historic church in Randolph, NH where he guest-preached nearly every summer for over 50 years.

He died on October 27, 2023, two days after his 96th birthday.

Select Publications

Notes and References

  1. News: Tucker . Chris . An Interview With WILLIAM MAY . 26 June 2022 . D Magazine . 1 December 1987.
  2. News: $2 Million gift to endow directorship of SMU's Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility . 26 June 2022 . Southern Methodist University . 9 January 2017.
  3. News: SMU Receives $2 Million to Endow Ethics Center Directorship . 26 June 2022 . Philanthropy News Digest . 14 January 2017.
  4. Web site: Remembering William F. May, Ph.D. . 14 December 2023 . SMU.
  5. News: 20 September 2007 . William F. May Appointed to Maguire Chair in American History at the John W. Kluge Center . 26 June 2022 . Library of Congress.
  6. News: William May, PhD . 26 June 2022 . Georgetown University.
  7. News: William F. May . 26 June 2022 . John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
  8. Reviews of The Physician's Covenant include:
    • Ledeher . Susan Eyrich . WILLIAM F. MAY. The Physician's Covenant: Images of the Healer in Medical Ethics. Philadelphia, Westminster Press, 1983. 204 pp. $10.95 paper. . Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences . October 1984 . 39 . 4 . 503 . 10.1093/jhmas/39.4.503.
    • Shannon . Thomas A. . The Physician's Covenant: Images of the Healer in Medical Ethics. By William F. May. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1983. 204 pages. $10.95 (paper). . Horizons . 1985 . 12 . 1 . 204–205 . 10.1017/S0360966900034794. 78830418 .
    • Gardner . E. Clinton . The Physician's Covenant: Images of the Healer in Medical Ethics. William F. May Human Life: A Biblical Perspective for Bioethics. J. Robert Nelson . The Journal of Religion . April 1986 . 66 . 2 . 214–215 . 10.1086/487372.
    • The Physician's Covenant: Images of the Healer in Medical Ethics. . Annals of Internal Medicine . February 1985 . 102 . 2 . 281 . 10.7326/0003-4819-102-2-281_3. 666395 .
    • Mermann . Alan C. . The Physician's Covenant. Images of the Healer in Medical Ethics . Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine . January–February 1985 . 58 . 1 . 53–54 . 2589827.
    • Connery . John R. . The Physician's Covenant: Images of the Healer in Medical Ethics by William F. May Philadelphia, Westminster Press, 1981. 204 pp. $10.95 . Theology Today . October 1984 . 41 . 3 . 360–363 . 10.1177/004057368404100324. 171066927 .
    • Riley . Joy . The Physician's Covenant: Images of the Healer in Medical Ethics, 2nd edition . Ethics and Medicine . 2004 . 20 . 3 . 182–183 . .
  9. Reviews of The Patient's Ordeal include:
    • Care . Norman S. . The Patient's Ordeal. William F. May . Ethics . October 1992 . 103 . 1 . 175–177 . 10.1086/293486.
    • Humber . James M. . JAMA . The Patient's Ordeal (review) . November 1991 . 266 . 17 . 2471–2472 . 10.1001/jama.1991.03470170163044.
    • Komp . Diane M. . The Patient's Ordeal By William F. May Bloomington, Indiana University Press, 1991. 218 pp. $24.95 . Theology Today . January 1992 . 48 . 4 . 496–500 . 10.1177/004057369204800430. 170872025 .
    • Kane . Francis . The Patient's Ordeal. William F. May. Medical Ethics series, Daniel Smith and Robert Veatch, editors. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1991. . Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics . 1993 . 2 . 3 . 385–187 . 10.1017/S0963180100004412. 74331963 .
  10. Reviews of Testing the Medical Covenant include:
    • Anton . Rosemary . Book Review - Testing the Medical Covenant: Active Euthanasia and Health Care Reform . Health Progress . November–December 1997 .
    • Schroten . Egbert . Book Reviews : Testing the Medical Covenant: active euthanasia and health care reform, by William F. May. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1996. 146 pp. pb. US$14.00. ISBN 0-8028-4204-6 . Studies in Christian Ethics . August 1998 . 11 . 2 . 133–136 . 10.1177/095394689801100218. 144466054 .
    • Beckley . Harlan . Testing the Medical Covenant: Active Euthanasia and Health Care Reform (review) . Theology Today . January 1998 . 54 . 4 . 573 . .
  11. Reviews of The Ethics of Giving and Receiving include:
    • Lenkowsky . Leslie . Book Review: The Ethics of Giving and Receiving: Am I My Foolish Brother's Keeper?. By William F. May and A. Lewis Soens Jr. (eds.). Southern Methodist University Press, Dallas, 2000 . Voluntas . September 2001 . 12 . 3 . 302–303 . 10.1023/A:1012307804870 . 141355360 . .
    • Guglielmino . Janine E. . The Ethical Considerations of Giving . The Chronicle of Philanthropy . 3 May 2001 .
  12. Reviews of Beleaguered Rulers include:
    • Breidenthal . Thomas E. . Beleaguered Rulers: The Public Obligation of the Professional By William F. May Westminster John Knox, 2001. 286 pp. $24.95 . Theology Today . 2002 . 59 . 3 . 486–488 . 10.1177/004057360205900327. 159604091 .
    • Lund-Molfese . Nicholas C. . Beleaguered Rulers: The Public Obligation of the Professional . Journal of Markets & Morality . 2002 . 5 . 2 .
  13. Reviews of Testing the National Covenant include:

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