In Memory: W. Lawrence Gulick

Dear Laurentian community,

I write today with the sad news that former St. Lawrence President Walter Lawrence (Lawry) Gulick, GP’13 has died. He was 95. As President from 1981 to 1987, Lawry sought and laid the groundwork for a more inclusive and diverse Laurentian community — served by the rigorous liberal arts education he championed.

He was born on July 4, 1927, in Summit, New Jersey, and raised in nearby East Orange and Upper Montclair. After graduating from Montclair High School in 1944, Lawry studied at Sheepshead Maritime Academy, earning certifications that permitted service as an engineer on merchant ships carrying troops and supplies to Europe across the North Atlantic. He enlisted in the Army in 1945, went to Jump School, was promoted to sergeant, and served as a paratrooper in the 11th Airborne Division in the Pacific at the end of WWII and during the post-war occupation of Japan.

After completing his service, Lawry attended Hamilton College where he majored in psychology and music. Upon graduation in 1952, he worked at E. I. DuPont as an industrial psychologist before beginning graduate work in experimental psychology at the University of Delaware (A.M.) and Princeton University (Ph.D.). Through his academic excellence, he earned membership in Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi. In 1989, St. Lawrence awarded Lawry an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters.

Lawry spent nearly five decades working in higher education as professor and researcher at the University of Delaware and Dartmouth College. He served as Dean of Hamilton College and was named President at St. Lawrence University after President Emeritus Frank Piskor retired in 1981.

As President, Lawry wanted the University to embrace under-served and under-represented populations. During his tenure, members of the campus community voiced concern over opportunities for women on campus. As the faculty council formed an Ad Hoc Committee on the Status of Women, Lawry supported the call for St. Lawrence to fulfill its mission as a coeducational, liberal arts university that also welcomed people of color. Lawry authored one of the earliest St. Lawrence documents identifying diversity as one of the University’s valued strengths.

In the fall of 1984, he issued a 22-page white paper he referred to as his “clarion call” for new directions on campus. His proposals included intensifying requirements for seniors and incorporating cultural and educational activities into campus life. Students praised Lawry’s vision and the Board of Trustees supported it. And, in a rare move for university presidents of the time, he taught an introductory course on psychology. He characterized getting into the classroom and working directly with students as “extracurricular fun.”

Lawry is remembered by students as a superb teacher and mentor. He was pleased that many of his students became colleagues and/or devoted friends. Work in his laboratories in academic departments of psychology explored visual and auditory perception, and he authored or co-authored three acclaimed textbooks in these fields of study.

Sailing was a passion and Lawry had a lifelong interest in music. He wrote music, sang, and played piano and accordion throughout his life. He encouraged others to embrace the arts and brought to St. Lawrence the esteemed Alexander String Quartet for annual residencies. His love for the performing arts led University administrators to name Gulick Theater (in Griffiths Arts Center) after the former President.

Lawry also enjoyed woodworking and furniture building. His efforts were crucial to the development of a wood shop in the retirement community where he lived, and there he would devote his time and skills to make or refurbish things for others. He loved poetry, had particular affection for the works of English romantic poets, and wrote and published poetry himself. He is also the author of two works of fiction.

Lawry was pre-deceased by his wife of 70 years, Winifred (Frazee) Gulick, who died in November 2022. He is survived by his three children: Hans, a retired U.S. Naval officer; Tod, a retired physician-scientist; and Kristina, a retired college Dean; five grandchildren—including Class of 2013 alumnus Ryan Schaefer—and one great-granddaughter.

An earnest supporter of higher education and St. Lawrence, Lawry and his wife established the Winifred Gulick Community Service Scholarship Endowment. It has provided financial aid to St. Lawrence students since 2012. In lieu of flowers, gifts in memory of Lawry can be made to the Gulick Endowment.

As we grieve the loss of our friend and colleague, we are grateful to Lawry for his service to all Laurentians. It is our honor to remember him, his work, and his passion for learning in service to our community.

Please celebrate Lawry’s life and work by sharing your memories of him on the St. Lawrence University website. Here, you can read the remembrances shared by others.

Sincerely,

Kate Morris