Gedney was professor of linguistics at the University of Ceylon 1959–60, then in 1960 took a position teaching linguistics and Thai at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he was in the English department until a department of linguistics was formed there in 1963. In his early years at Michigan, he helped develop the first Thai language training program for the Peace Corps. Gedney taught at the University of Michigan until his retirement in 1980, and served as chair of the linguistics department from 1972–75. During his career, Gedney was active in the Linguistic Society of America, the American Oriental Society, the Siam Society, the Association for Asian Studies and Southeast Asian Linguistics Society. In 1981, he served as vice president of the American Oriental Society, and in 1982 as president. During his years of study Gedney began collecting Thai literature, ultimately building a 14,000 volume collection, which he donated in 1975 to the University of Michigan. Gedney specialized throughout his career on documenting the Tai–Kadai languages. He sought in particular many in the less spoken languages of this family in Southeast Asia and southern China in order to capture the characteristics of these languages. He was known for the accuracy of his notes on the tonal and phonological characteristics of these languages, and developed important word lists and representations for the study and comparisons of their tone. In all Gedney worked on over 22 languages, including Saek, Lue, and Yay, often creating the first dictionaries of those languages. His findings have been published in an eight-volume series with the Center for South and South East Asian Studies at the University of Michigan, edited by Thomas John Hudak, one of Gedney's students. By focusing on data and his extensive knowledge of the Tai–Kadai languages, Gedney established himself as a leader in the comparative-historical study of Tai languages and dialects. But his influence went far beyond linguistics. Researchers from other disciplines including history, political science, art history and anthropology sought his advice. William J. Gedney died on 14 November 1999 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Gedney advised many dissertations in Tai linguistics, and made his extensive field notes available to his students. He continued to serve on dissertation committees after his retirement in 1980. A selection of Gedney's notable students and their dissertations is as follows:     </doc> <doc id="24455009" url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=24455009" title="Eduard Pulpe"> Eduard Pulpe  Lieutenant Eduard Martynovich Pulpe (22 June 1880 - 2 August 1916) was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.