Seymour Abrahamson

Madison, Wisconsin


SEYMOUR ABRAHAMSON, Professor Emeritus of Zoology at the University of Wisconsin -Madison died in Madison on Saturday, July 23, 2016.

He was born in New York City on November 28, 1927. His parents were Benjamin Abrahamson and Molly Finklestein Abrahamson.

Dr. Abrahamson graduated from Weequahic High School (Newark, New Jersey), Rutgers University-Newark (Phi Beta Kappa), and received his PhD in genetics from Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, where he studied under the Nobel Laureate geneticist Herman J. Muller.

Seymour was a WWII veteran, a thankful beneficiary of the GI Bill. Dr. Abrahamson joined the U.W.-Madison faculty in 1961, teaching courses in zoology and genetics and was recognized by his students as an outstanding teacher. He also supervised a genetics research laboratory studying drosophila and radiation effects. He lectured across the United States, Europe and Asia, traveling widely, both professionally and with his family. He had spent time on each of the seven continents.

Dr. Abrahamson twice served as Chair of the Zoology Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dr. Abrahamson was long affiliated with the Hiroshima-based Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) (formerly known as the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission), a joint project of the Japanese and U.S. Governments, where he helped oversee and publish studies on the effects of the atomic bombs on human survivors. He lived and worked in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, for seven years and served as Director and Chief of Research for RERF from 1986 to 1988 (and again in leadership capacity from 1995-1996). In recognition of his contributions to science and the Japanese people, Dr. Abrahamson received a distinguished service award from the Emperor of Japan.

In addition to this award, Dr. Abrahamson was the recipient of many honors, was elected to five professional societies, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and served on numerous professional boards and committees on the state, national and international stage, among them the National Academy of Sciences, National Council on Radiation Protection, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, and Institute of Regulatory Sciences. Dr. Abrahamson was particularly proud of his wide-ranging committee work in service to the people of the State of Wisconsin and its University.

Dr. Abrahamson published over 100 articles and book chapters in peer-reviewed scientific journals dealing with health, physics and radiation, participated on the editorial boards of several professional publications, and served as Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Mutagenesis (1979-1984). He counted the distinguished population geneticist Dr. James F. Crow among his closest friends and greatest mentors.

After retirement, Seymour Abrahamson was committed to keeping abreast of new developments in biological research and the environment. One of his more recent interests was in his book club with members of diverse interests; they rekindled his interest in history and political science.

Dr. Abrahamson had a passion for people and knowledge. He enjoyed friends and strangers alike; he was able to converse with all. He had a vast array of information at his disposal on many, diverse subjects.

Dr. Abrahamson was deeply grateful to his remarkable physician, University of Wisconsin Dr. Dennis Maki, who provided him and his family with the finest care imaginable for nearly four decades.

Dr. Abrahamson is survived by his wife, Shirley, son, Daniel, daughter-in-law, Tsan, and grandson, Moses Jonah, and nephews and great-nieces and nephews, all of whom he cherished.

Private services will be held at a later date.

Please share your memories of Dr. Abrahamson.

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