Harry W. Seeley Jr. (1917 - 2014)
Harry W. Seeley, Jr.
March 5, 1917-Oct. 13, 2014
Harry W. Seeley, Jr., was born on March 5, 1917, in Bridgeport, Conn. to Genevieve Quinlan and Harry W. Seeley. His family home was in Stratford, Conn., the town of his early schooling through high school. After attending Tufts University, he transferred to the University of Connecticut where he received the Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees and was appointed to the rank of Instructor. At Connecticut he met Margaret (Peggy) E. Johnson whom he married in 1940. A transfer to Cornell and specializing in Bacteriology led to the PhD degree in 1947. His subsequent research was centered on the chemistry, nutrition and metabolism of the genus Streptococcus. He was appointed Asst. Prof. of Bacteriology in 1947, Assoc. Prof. in 1951 and Prof. in 1954. He served concurrently as the Prof. of Bacteriology in the School of Nutrition in 1954-1957. Prof. Seeley's time was increasingly devoted to administrative work in 1957, and was appointed Chair of the Section of Microbiology, Division of Biological Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in 1965. As the result of extreme organizational changes in this college he subsequently served as Prof. in Charge of the Laboratory of Microbiology and Chair of the Dept. of Microbiology. He retired and became Prof. Emeritus in 1979. Prof. Seeley taught, through lecture and laboratory, an introductory microbiology course for 30 years, as well as several advanced courses at various intervals. He co-authored two laboratory manuals, "Microbes and Man", and "Microbes in Action". The latter was widely used by universities and colleges, the 4th edition being published in 1991. In addition to numerous college and university committees including the University Faculty Council, he served as President of the New York Branch of the American Society of Microbiology and also as Visiting Lecturer of the American Institute of Biological Sciences. For several years, he served on the Postdoctoral Fellowship Selection Committee of the National Academy of Sciences-National Science Foundation. Among professional societies of which he was a member, were the American Society for Microbiology, Society of General Microbiology, Society for Applied Bacteriology, American Association of University Professors, and the honorary societies Phi Kappa Phi and Sigma Xi. Prof. Seeley was awarded a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship in 1958, listed for several in "Who's Who in America" and was elected to a Fellowship in the American Academy of Microbiology. The proximity of Stratford, Conn., where he grew up, to Long Island Sound and his work in Bedell's Shipyard during the summers of his college years led to a lifelong interest in water activities, especially sailing. At that time he held a license from the Bureau of Navigation for operating passenger-carrying vessels. Some of his college-year summers were spent along the coast of New England in personally owned or rented schooners. For a number of years he was a member of the Ithaca Yacht Club, and also the City Club of Ithaca. Most of the summers of his retirement were spent at his home on Block Island, RI. He was a charter member of the Block Island Conservancy, and he pursued many saltwater activities, especially surf-casting.
In his day, Harry was as kindhearted, supportive, sensitive, humorous, generous and loving as a husband, father, neighbor, colleague, and friend could possibly be. He will also be remembered for his fondness of animals and birds, and his avid cloud-watching.
Prof. Seeley is survived by his wife Peggy of Jacksonville, NY and two daughters, Gail Fox of New Brunswick, Canada, and Carol Seeley-Teboe (Dan) of Boulder, Colorado. His third daughter, Beth, predeceased him. Other survivors are two grandsons, Jason Fox (Vanessa) of Irvington, NY, Timothy Fox of Japan, and two great-granddaughters, Ava and Hannah (Jason & Vanessa').
At Prof. Seeley's request, there will be no calling hours. Final arrangements will be made by Wagner Funeral Home at the convenience of his family. No flowers please. Instead, donate to a local charity in his name.
Published in Ithaca Journal on October 17, 2014
[Great-great-great-grandson of SGS # 2065 – Harry Wilbur; Harry Wilbur; Wilbur Nash; Henry James; Samuel Hamilton; Samuel Hamilton (# 2056); Seth (# 641); Seth; Nathan; James; Nathaniel; Nathaniel; Robert]
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