In Memoriam: Gilbert Geis, Ph.D., CFE (1925-2012)

Gilbert Geis, Ph.D., CFE, 87, one of the early pillars of the ACFE, passed away Nov. 10, 2012, after a long illness.

Dr. Geis, the former professor emeritus in the Department of Criminology, Law & Society in the School of Social Ecology at the University of California at Irvine (UCI), was instrumental in forming the philosophy of the ACFE.

"Gil Geis was a giant in criminology research and teaching," said Dr. Joseph T. Wells, CFE, CPA, founder and Chairman of the ACFE. "His seminal ideas helped create the ACFE. He was a mentor and advisor to me. But above all, he was a genuine and kind friend. We will miss him greatly."

Dr. Geis wrote the criminology section of the ACFE's Fraud Examiners Manual and was the ACFE's president from 1992 until 2002.

"The promise in the pioneering work of [criminologist] Edwin Sutherland on white-collar crime [Sutherland coined the term] has been fulfilled more in the works of Geis than in the works of any other scholar," wrote Dr. Robert F. Meir, in the book "Contemporary Issues in Crime & Criminal Justice: Essays in Honor of Gilbert Geis," edited by Dr. Henry N. Pontell, a close friend, and Dr. David Shichor.

"Gil was not only a leader in the field of fraud prevention and criminology, but a close colleague, mentor and dear friend to so many," said Dr. Pontell, professor and director of the Master of Advanced Study Program in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society at the UCI School of Social Ecology.

"As one of the most prolific and thoughtful scholars ever in the social sciences, Gil kept writing until his final days," Dr. Pontell said. "His keen sense of justice and humanity were evident in everything he accomplished during a brilliant academic career spanning eight decades. His legacy will undoubtedly influence scholars for many years to come."

"Gilbert Geis was well known as a prolific scholar, charming colleague and beloved friend," said Dr. Valerie Jenness, dean of the UCI School of Social Ecology. "For so many of us, it was a pleasure and an enriching experience to know him."

Though he was a leading researcher in white-collar crime, his work spanned sociology, psychology, history, criminal justice, law, media studies, education, policy studies and many sub-disciplines.

Dr. Geis also held academic positions at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Pennsylvania State University, the University of Sydney, the Institute of Criminology and Wolfson College at Cambridge University, California State University, State University of New York – Albany and the University of Oklahoma.

He received numerous honors including the ACFE's Donald R. Cressey Award, the Fulbright Award, the first Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Professional Contributions in the Field of White-Collar Crime (thereafter called the Geis Award) from the National White-Collar Crime Center/White-Collar Crime Research Consortium, and the Edwin H. Sutherland Award for Outstanding Contributions to Theory of Research in Criminology from the American Society of Criminology (of which he was the president in 1976).

As a member of the President's Commission on Law Enforcement & Administration of Justice, Dr. Geis was responsible for publicizing victim compensation in cases involving financial crime. He was also a member of the National Council on Crime & Delinquency from 1973 to 1976.

Dr. Geis was born Jan. 10, 1925, in New York City. He served in the Navy during World War II and attended college under the GI Bill. He earned a bachelor's degree at New York's Colgate University, a master's at Brigham Young University in Utah and a doctorate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

A memorial service was held Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012, at Pacific View Memorial Park & Mortuary in Corona del Mar, Calif.

The Geis Memorial Scholarship Fund has been established under his name with the ACFE's non-profit partner, the Institute for Fraud Prevention (IFP). It will specifically fund doctoral-level research in the causational factors of fraud. Donations of any amount are appreciated and should be sent to:

The Geis Memorial Scholarship Fund
c/o The ACFE
716 West Avenue
Austin, TX 78701 USA

The March/April issue of Fraud Magazine will be dedicated to Dr. Geis.

Eulogy for Dr. Gilbert Geis, CFE, by Dr. Joseph T. Wells, CFE, CPA, founder and Chairman of the ACFE

There have been countless times over the years when people have asked me, "What is Gil Geis like?" The true answer is as complicated as the man himself. But I always simply replied that he was the most modestly wonderful intellectual giant I'd ever met. And he was. We were introduced in about 1985 at the retirement party for the late Don Cressey. However, I had known about Gil through his writings for years. I sought him out at the party and fawned over him like he was a rock star. Thus began a friendship that endured for nearly three decades.

Please let me introduce myself to help connect the dots. I am a CPA and former FBI agent, who in 1988 founded the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). Although I'd spent many years putting fraudsters in prison, I couldn't quite grasp why otherwise "ordinary" people would turn to such mind-boggling dishonesty. The eminent Dr. Geis helped me seek answers in terms I could understand.

In 1992, I asked him to be president of the ACFE. Gil graciously accepted and served with distinction in that position until 2002 when our staggering growth dictated that we combine the office of president with that of the chief executive officer. Due in no small part to his intellectual guidance, the ACFE is now the world's largest anti-fraud organization with nearly 65,000 members in 160 nations. We simply couldn't have done it without him.

On a personal basis, I will miss him sorely. We made each other laugh. I can recall vividly when he and I sat together in a conference listening to a speaker drone on endlessly. In Gil's classic pose with his elbow resting on the table and his hand supporting his chin, Dr. Geis leaned over to me and said rather loudly, "What bulls**t!" Those of us in hearing distance erupted with laughter. That is the Gil I knew; there was no pretense about him whatsoever.

In his honor, the ACFE is establishing the Geis Memorial Scholarship Fund through our non-profit partner, the Institute for Fraud Prevention. Our initial $50,000 donation will grow and provide scholarships for deserving students in the anti-fraud field. Gil, we mourn your death but celebrate your life. May God rest your soul.

The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners assumes sole copyright of any article published on www.Fraud-Magazine.com or www.ACFE.com. ACFE follows a policy of exclusive publication. Permission of the publisher is required before an article can be copied or reproduced. Requests for reprinting an article in any form must be emailed to FraudMagazine@ACFE.com.