Richmond T. Prehn, MD, former member of the AACR board of directors, died November 7, 2016, at the age of 93. Prehn, who first joined the organization in 1953, had been an emeritus member of the AACR since 1988.
Prehn was an affiliate professor of pathology at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. In 1957, Prehn, who became known as one of the founders of cancer immunology, co-authored a landmark study that convincingly demonstrated immunity to antigens in 3-methycholanathrene-induced mouse tumors. His research furthered understanding of the immune system’s response to cancer and other diseases, and advanced the development of effective immunotherapies.
Prehn served on the AACR board of directors from 1980 to 1983 and on various other AACR committees through his 63 years as an AACR member, including the State Legislative Committee. He appeared on the cover of Cancer Research in May 1976.
Born Dec. 8, 1922, Prehn completed an internship at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital before joining the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. During his career, Prehn also worked at the Institute for Cancer Research at Fox Chase in Philadelphia, and as director of the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, and the Institute for Medical Research in San Jose, California.
Prehn was also a member of the Cancer Research Institute’s (CRI) Academy of Cancer Immunology and honorary member of CRI’s scientific advisory council. He was recognized with the William B. Coley Award for Distinguished Research in Basic and Tumor Immunology in 1975.
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