Jean Guitton, 98, a Catholic philosopher and academic who was the only layman authorized to take part in the Second Vatican Council, died Sunday in Paris. Mr. Guitton, the oldest member of the Academie Francaise, was the author of about 30 works, mostly focusing on the relationship between Catholicism and modern thought.

Dr. Russell Ross, 69, a University of Washington professor whose research made important advances in the understanding of why arteries harden, died Thursday of complications after cancer surgery in Seattle.

Pub Date: 3/23/99