Malcolm Beverley Willis

Malcolm B. Willis (May 13, 1935 – July 19, 2011) was an English geneticist and senior lecturer in Animal Breeding and Genetics at Newcastle University. He studied the genetics of diseases in dogs and production traits in beef cattle.

Education and career

Willis graduated with a BSc from Durham University in 1957 and earned his PhD in Genetics from Edinburgh University in 1960. His early career included serving as a geneticist for the Milk Marketing Board from 1960 to 1965, followed by a position as head of Animal Science at Havana University in Cuba until 1972. His research in Cuba focused on the genetics of production traits of beef cattle in tropical climates. He then joined Newcastle University, where he focused on canine genetics, particularly studying hereditary issues affecting the German Shepherd Dog and the Bernese Mountain Dog.

Willis authored several books that contributed to the field of canine genetics, including Genetics of the Dog (1989), The German Shepherd Dog: A Genetic History (1992), and The Bernese Mountain Dog Today (1998). He also initiated a hip scoring scheme in Britain that encouraged breeders to have their dogs' hips X-rayed, leading to improvements in the prevalence of hip dysplasia among puppies born after its implementation.

Willis became a dog judge in 1959, judging German Shepherd dogs and Bernese Mountain dogs in over ten countries worldwide. He was chairman of the German Shepherd Dog Breed Council since its inception in 1986 and president of the Northern Bernese Mountain Dog Club. His expertise earned him several accolades, including a Gold Medal from the Australian German Shepherd Dog Council in 1988 and the Dog Writers of America Award in 1992 for his contributions to literature on canine genetics.

Beyond his academic and literary contributions, Willis served as an advisor to law enforcement agencies regarding canine genetics and breeding issues.

Personal life

Willis was married three times. His first wife was Pat, with whom he had a son; they were married in 1960 but divorced in 1968. His second wife, Thelma, whom he met while working in Cuba, was with him until their separation after having three children together. In 1990, he married his third wife, Helen Davenport, whom he had met at Crufts in 1986.

Willis died in 2011, when he was 76 years old.

Selected publications

Books

Journal articles