Educator. Researcher. Clinician. Advocate. Colleague. Friend. Dr. William C. Dement was all of these and more, and the AASM mourns his death on June 17, 2020, at the age of 91. Tributes and memories of this remarkable man have come from Washington to Chicago, from New York to Stanford, and from around the world. This compilation presents some of those reflections on the life and legacy of our first president, whose contributions to sleep medicine, sleep research and our organization were vast. Read more about Dr. Dement’s contributions to the field of sleep medicine.

A contemporary of Dr. Dement, Thomas Roth, PhD, succeeded him as the AASM’s second president. A leader in the development of the sleep medicine field, Dr. Roth retired in 2014 from the Sleep Disorders Center and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

“Bill flew out to Michigan when I was being recruited to Henry Ford Hospital to support my recruitment. He flew back to Michigan on the occasion of my ‘retirement.’ I mention this not because it attests to any special relationship we had, but because it exemplifies Bill’s generosity. Dr. Dement is survived by Catherine Dement Roos, Elizabeth Ann Dement, John Nicholas Dement and their families, along with the thousands of sleep researchers and clinicians and millions of sleep disorders patients who have better and more productive lives because of his passion for research, concern for patients, generosity with students and trainees, and his Herculean efforts to elevate and push forward the banner of sleep on so many fronts.”

Mary Carskadon “grows” a moustache to better fit in with Bill Dement (l) and Mark Rosekind at the SLEEP meeting in Minneapolis in 2011.

Mary Carskadon, PhD, first met Dr. Dement as a young girl, when he married her cousin, Pat. An early participant in his sleep experiments, Dr. Carskadon joined Dr. Dement after graduating from college to set up the first sleep clinic at Stanford. Together, they developed the MSLT. Dr. Carskadon went on to Brown University, where she’s a professor of psychiatry and human behavior and director of chronobiology and sleep research.

“In 2001, Bill received the National Sleep Foundation‘s Lifetime Achievement award. I took advantage of that occasion to present Bill with a much less ornate certificate that named my summer research apprenticeship in his honor. Every year since then, my summer students are known as Dement Fellows. I cannot overstate the wonderful engagement Bill had with these fellows. We have now had generations of trainees, and nearly all of them have had the opportunity to meet Bill and experience his enthusiasm in person. Bill would meet the trainees at our receptions at APSS, always trying to learn their names and always succeeding in engaging them in lively conversations. Bill would come to our retreat at the end of the summers when he could, and he would give a talk; sometimes his talk was virtual. Either way, great back and forth conversations occurred. Bill loved listening to my trainees’ presentations, too. He was always so enthusiastic in responding to their talks, taking copious notes and always asking them thoughtful questions. He was so demonstrably interested in what they had to say. Bill would also show his fun side at the retreat. One year, he sent ahead of his arrival about a dozen enormous super soaker water guns; we had the best water battle that year, with Bill in full engagement having as much fun and getting as soaked as everyone.”

Admiration, praise and thoughtful memories are being shared by friends and colleagues in the sleep world and elsewhere. Dr. Dement was remembered with obituaries in major newspapers such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and The Economist. California Congresswoman Anna Eshoo offered a tribute to Dr. Dement in the House of Representatives:

Bill Dement discusses driver fatigue and highway safety during a conference at the National Academy of Sciences in 2002

“Dr. Dement was an ardent supporter of insurance coverage for sleep analysis and treatment, and advocated widely and effectively about the dangers of sleep deprivation and need for sufficient sleep for students, drivers and others, and he had a deep impact on the lives of the Stanford University students who enrolled in his iconic Sleep and Dreams course…He was often seen on Capitol Hill in his role as Chairman of the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research. The cornerstone recommendation of the National Commission was the establishment of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, and in 1993, during the reauthorization bill for the National Institutes of Health, Congress followed through with the statutory establishment of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research at NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.”

Friends and colleagues joined the California Sleep Society in a socially distant memorial on Zoom and spent two hours reflecting on Dr. Dement’s warmth, kindness and generosity.

Sonia Ancoli-Israel, PhD, professor emeritus of psychiatry and professor of research at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, was the 2019 recipient of the AASM William C. Dement Academic Achievement Award.

Sleep leaders pile around Bill Dement on Sonia Ancoli-Israel’s bed after a board meeting in San Diego during the 1988 SLEEP meeting.

“There’s nothing like reading and studying someone’s work and then getting to meet them… Bill had so many different careers, all of which moved our field forward. That was Bill, always thinking about others and how sleep could make their life better. Imagine how honored I was just last year to receive an award named after Bill and have him there with me.”

Colin Sullivan, MBBS, PhD, FRACP, inventor of CPAP

“It is a great loss to lose Bill, but it’s incredible to think about his contributions to sleep medicine internationally, all around the world. I think I’m just one of many, many research and clinician scientists who have really been fed by Bill’s intellect and enthusiasm. I can say the world is a lesser place for his passing.”

H. Craig Heller, PhD, Sleep Research Society President

“He was always supportive. I never saw Bill dismissive or negative about someone’s work. He was always encouraging. His positiveness and his good humor motivated us. I hope that those of us who had the pleasure and privilege of knowing Bill will share our memories with our younger colleagues, and we will give to them the same enthusiastic support and encouragement that we always received from Bill.”

Bill Dement, center, with some of the first presidents of the Association of Polysomnographic Technologists, now the AAST. From left, Sharon Keenan, Todd Eiken, Cameron Harris and Peter McGregor.

Sharon Keenan, PhD, RPSGT, worked with Dr. Dement and others to establish the Stanford University Sleep Disorders Center Training and Education Program, where she was the director. First trained as a sleep technologist, Dr. Keenan served as president of what is now the American Association of Sleep Technologists for eight years.

“We all cherished his support and encouragement. He recognized and respected the critical work done in the sleep laboratory. He was our hero. He knew us because he spent so many hours in his own laboratory. He knew the laboratory is where the excitement of discovery, evaluation and treatment happen. He was unique. He cannot be replaced. He will live on in our hearts, in our work, every day.”

Emmanuel Mignot, MD, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University

“I still believe that if Bill had not been there, sleep medicine would not have developed as fast as it has today. I wouldn’t be surprised if sleep medicine would be several years behind where we are now. I believe thousands and thousands of lives have been saved because he has been promoting the field all the time. As a result, there’s been more clinics, more people trained, more people treated, less  accidents, less cardiovascular accidents. There are few people who can say they have saved many lives, and I think he’s one of the few that can say that.”

Mark Rosekind, PhD, Chief Safety Innovation Officer, Zoox, former administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, former board member, National Transportation Safety Board

Bill Dement and Mary Carskadon administered the oath of office to Mark Rosekind when he joined the board of the NTSB as an expert on sleep and fatigue.

“We have a field of sleep medicine because of Bill Dement. As much as he focused on the field, simultaneously he focused on the rest of the world. He continually pushed us to think about how sleep affects the rest of the world, whether that was drowsy driving or sleepiness in the workplace, certainly how we can help patients. He really pushed public service. How do we take everything we do in sleep and make it valuable and meaningful for the rest of the world? I’m not sure there’s ever truly been enough credit for Bill’s emphasis on giving back, extending far beyond the sleep field to make sure all this work we do in the night is going to affect how people’s waking lives are improved.”

Accolades for Dr. Dement’s work came from more unexpected places as well. The Truck Safety Coalition in a tweet recalled his efforts to address sleep deprivation and its risks to highway safety on a national level.

“TSC expresses deep gratitude to Dr. William Dement for his pioneering work on sleep deprivation, especially truck driver fatigue. His research was critical to advancing federal hours-of-service rules and made our highways safer for everyone.”

Former students and colleagues also remembered Dr. Dement for his defining contributions to sleep medicine.

Bill Dement and Cheri Mah in their favorite t-shirts.

“My dear mentor Dr. William Dement, the Father of Sleep Medicine, leaves an unparalleled legacy & will be missed deeply. My best Stanford memories will always be tied to Dr. D. Thanks for your guidance, encouragement, & golfcart rides. #DrowsinessIsRedAlert” – Cheri Mah, MD, clinical and translational research fellow at the University of California San Francisco.

With extraordinary vision and leadership, Dr. Dement laid the foundation for the AASM while nurturing the development and growth of the sleep field. We are grateful to be a part of his legacy.

Updated April 21, 2025

This article appeared in the Summer 2020 issue of Montage, volume 5, number 2.