Barbara Hixon

Mrs. Hixon was an Assistant Professor of Biostatistics at Washington University School of Medicine.

She was born and raised in Springfield, Illinois, where she was known as Louise Bartels. After two years at Springfield College in Illinois she earned a B.S. degree at the University of Illinois, and took graduate courses at Columbia University.

She taught in the Springfield public schools until 1943 when she took a position as Assistant in Research at the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. At Yale she had the unique opportunity to study the rapidly developing field of biometry under one of the developers of that field, Dr. Chester I. Bliss.

After her marriage to George D. Hixon in 1946 she taught in the mathematics department of Washington University. She was then asked to develop a course in Biostatistics for students at the Medical School. She taught this course until 1966 when she became a co-founder, with Dr. Robert Shank, of the Division of Biostatistics. She continued to teach and work with many researchers as a statistical consultant and is a co-author of articles in medical and scientific journals. She was honored by being named "The Distinguished Alumna of the Year 2000" by Springfield College in Illinois. In 2007, and again in 2010, she was honored by the Division of Biostatistics for her pioneering work in this growing field.

After retiring Mrs. Hixon became interested in genealogy and compiled a book titled "Letters from Laura," based on Civil War letters written by her husband's grandmother.

Survivors include her brother, Robert J. Bartels, of Boston, Massachusetts, six nephews and two nieces, all living on the East Coast. She was preceded in death by her husband, George in 2002, her son, John Gregory, in 1974, and her sister, Winona Memler, in 1988.

A memorial service will be held Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. at Bonhomme Presbyterian Church, 14820 Conway Road, Chesterfield, Missouri, with burial in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois