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Jerry Wilhm, age 95, was involved in teaching, research, advising, and administration during his 29-year tenure at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Wilhm died on Thursday, March 20, 2026 in Stillwater.
He was born in Kansas City, Kansas in 1930 and graduated from Kansas City Argentine High School in 1948. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Emporia State University in Kansas in 1952 and 1955, respectively. From 1952 to 1954, he served with the U.S. Army. He married Nona Reed from Peabody, Kansas, in 1955. From 1955-62 he taught high school biology at Shawnee Mission High School in Kansas. In 1965, he received the PhD degree from OSU.
From 1964 to 1966, Dr. Wilhm was employed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee where he researched the effects of radioactive materials on aquatic organisms. He accepted a position in the Zoology Department at OSU in 1966. He taught courses ranging from freshman biology to specialized courses for graduate students and conducted research on the effects of environmental contaminants on aquatic communities. He had publications in many different journals and presented numerous research papers at scientific meetings. He served as head of the Department of Zoology at OSU from 1971-74 and from 1982 until his retirement in 1995. He and his wife established two endowments to support students in the Department of Zoology at OSU and they were instrumental in establishing a third.
Dr. Wilhm participated in a National Science Foundation study at Lake Atitlan in Guatemala in 1973. As a Fulbright Scholar in New Zealand in 1979, he taught Environmental Science at the University in Hamilton and presented seminars at other universities. He was a member of many professional societies, was on the editorial board of several scientific journals, and served as president of the Oklahoma Academy of Science in 1985. After his retirement, he traveled extensively, became active in the Payne County Audubon Society, wrote and reviewed papers and tutored in the English as a Second Language program.
He was predeceased by his wife Nona, his parents, and three brothers. Survivors include his son Dr. Jerry Wilhm and his wife Cathy; his daughter Jackie German and her husband Maurice; four granddaughters, Carrie German, Cristie Leach, Elyse Moore, and Dana Wilhm; and five great-grandchildren with one on the way.
In accordance with his wishes, there will be no service.
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