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On the evening of June 17, 2020, Professor William C. Dement passed away at the age of 91.
Professor Seiji Nishino, Director of the Stanford University Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology Laboratory, has kindly written a memorial tribute, which we present below.
We extend our deepest condolences for the passing of Professor William C. Dement.
Professor Dement often referred to his mentor, Professor Kleitman of the University of Chicago's Department of Physiology and the discoverer of REM sleep, as "the first human sleep researcher" in the sense that he dedicated his life to sleep research. If we were to use a similar expression, Professor Dement was truly "the father of sleep medicine."
*Professor Dement with a narcoleptic dog
Until around 1950, sleep was considered a passive behavioral state that served no important function other than relieving sleepiness and fatigue, and thus was not an attractive research subject.
However, with the discovery of REM sleep in the 1950s, this notion was instantly overturned. Almost simultaneously, animal experiments by Moruzzi and Magoun revealed that sleep and wakefulness are caused by spontaneous brain activity, ushering in the era of modern sleep research.
Since the discovery of REM sleep was the discovery of a phenomenon, Jouvet in France and Tokizane in Japan also reported similar phenomena around the same time.
The discovery of REM sleep in humans is attributed to Kleitman and Aserinsky, who was a graduate student at the time. However, Professor Dement, then a medical student, was also present at the discovery and subsequently immersed himself energetically in exploring the physiological significance of REM sleep. Therefore, in the United States, the discovery of REM sleep is often considered the achievement of all three.
Professor Dement joined Stanford in 1963, where he established the Sleep Research Center and Sleep Clinic, training many sleep researchers and sleep specialists, many of whom are now active worldwide.
*Stanford and Sleep Medicine
In 1972, he invited Professor Guilleminault from France, and together they contributed to the establishment of sleep medicine.
Professor Dement's achievements are so numerous that I need not elaborate on them further. He was a very friendly and humorous person, yet also had a difficult side, though he never showed it to others. When I was with him, he was always talkative and full of jokes.
I fondly recall accompanying Professor Dement and my wife for nearly a week when he went on a lecture tour to Sapporo, Asahikawa, and Kyoto in 2008.
Professor Dement lived on campus, and when I was studying at Stanford in 1987, he hosted Christmas parties at his home every year.
Sometimes nearly 100 people would gather, and he would always come up with different entertainments each year, such as folk dances and bagpipes, so everyone looked forward to it greatly.
I remember that the bagpipes were extremely loud, and when the performers entered the room, no one could talk, so everyone would flee the room. The bagpipers, not understanding why everyone was running away, would move back into the crowded room and start playing again, in a cycle that was like a game of tag.
The first time I visited Professor Dement's home for a Christmas party, it was Professor Dement himself who, in a red hat and red vest, greeted guests and served beer and cocktails.
*Professor Guilleminault talking about wine, at a Sleep Research Center party
I had expected an important person to be sitting solemnly in the innermost room, so Professor Dement's role as "bartender" instantly won me over and I suddenly felt a sense of closeness. Also, when the number of guest cars gradually increased and threatened to disturb the neighbors, it was Professor Dement who was the first to go outside and start directing traffic.
There are countless other anecdotes, but one of his favorite jokes was about a time at a conference when it was his turn to present, and there was only one audience member in the room. He was quite disappointed but pulled himself together and finished his presentation. As he was about to leave the room, that audience member said, "Please do not leave, I am the next speaker."
Given Professor Dement's personality, I suspect that a similar situation actually happened, rather than it being a complete fabrication.
With deepest respect, I pray for his peaceful repose.
*Professor Nishino and Professor Dement
Sleep is an essential part of life - but more importantly, sleep is a gift. William, C. Dement
*Japanese translation Sleep is one of the "indispensable things" in life. But more importantly, sleep is a "gift." William C. Dement (First Director of the Stanford University Sleep Research Center)
Authored by: Seiji Nishino (Stanford University Medical Center)
