William Kaufman
William Kaufman
William Kaufman Professor, Human Biology 5/30/86
Dr. William "Bill" Carl Kaufman, Jr. (retired Lt. Col., USAF) was born in Appleton, Minnesota on January 21, 1923 and passed away quietly on March 26, 2014. He was an old-fashioned gentleman of character, well-respected by friends and colleagues.
Bill received his B.A. degree from the University of Minnesota in Zoology and Chemistry; his Masters degree from the University of Illinois in Human Physiology and Biochemistry, and his Ph.D. from the University of Washington in Physiology and Biophysics.
Bill's achievements span decades.
As a member of the U.S. Army Air Corps, Bill was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and received his pilot's wings in 1944. During WWII he flew B-17s and served as Research and Development Officer and Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Ohio State University.
Through the years, Bill also served as Adjunct Professor at New Mexico State University, Department of Biology and Professor of Human Biology at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, where he was also awarded Professor Emeritus.
His major field of expertise included human response to environmental stress and the design and evaluation of protective and recreational clothing, especially for high-altitude flight.
Bill received honors from the National Institute of Health (NIH), a Senior Scientist Fellowship from the Medical Research Council in Hampstead, London, England. NASA, Eddie Bauer Company and Johnson Wax Associates also awarded him with research grants.
His publications include over 175 scientific journal articles, abstracts and technical reports covering human physiology and biochemistry including insulation of materials for aerospace applications.
A long-time resident of Woodinville and Bothell, Bill spent his retirement years reading, writing, attending concerts and weekly manuscript critique classes. He was a member of the Washington Ornithological Society, the American Physiological Society and many others. Bill was actively involved in the Monroe Swift Watch, a community group dedicated to saving the Vaux's Swift.
Bill's pride and joy was his sports car: a 1969 Lotus Elan. He purchased the car while doing research in England. It was shipped to the U.S. when Bill returned and he happily drove it for many years.
Bill is survived by his wife, Diann MacRae, sister, Gail Clark of Denver, son, William C. Kaufman, III of Kirkland (Kandi), daughter, Dr. Jane Kaufman Pennella of Milford, Connecticut (Andrew), granddaughter, Amanda Kaufman, and stepson, Christopher MacRae.
At Bill's request there will be no service. Remembrances may be sent to The Nature Conservancy.
Dr. Kaufman will be buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.
Published in The Seattle Times, April 20, 2014
(Reprinted with permission from Linda Charles, Obituary Account Executive, The Seattle Times Company.)
William C. Kaufman, 1923-2014
(Published July 1, 2014, Log newsletter, UW-Green Bay)
Word has been received of the death earlier this year of former UW-Green Bay Prof. William “Bill” Kaufman, who passed away March 26 at age 91 in Washington state. Kaufman drew national attention for his 1970s research at UW-Green Bay involving physiological studies concerning body temperature and adaption to heat and cold. Chairman of the Human Adaptability program (later Human Biology), Kaufman joined the faculty in 1969 after holding previous appointments as a National Institute of Health research fellow and a faculty member at Ohio State University. He spent the early part of his career as a training officer and research biologist with the U.S. Air Force, from which he retired in 1968 as a lieutenant colonel. He retired from UW-Green Bay in 1986. In the days before athletics training and human performance in extreme conditions had become hot topics in the popular press, Kaufman’s publications included articles for Science magazine on such topics as “Thermal Insulating Capabilities of Outdoor Clothing Materials,” in which he and student assistants in his cold room compared the insulating properties of goose down, wool, polyester and other common materials of the time. He also did frequent interviews, with CBS Radio and others, on the topic of wind-chill research. (He thought TV meteorologists over-dramatized the effect to hype ratings, and under-emphasized the ability of smart planning and good outerwear to mitigate wind chill risks.) Kaufman’s interest in high-altitude flight related strongly to his service as a member of the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and received his pilot's wings in 1944, flying B-17s during WWII. He is survived by his wife, Diann MacRae, sister, Gail Clark of Denver, son, William C. Kaufman, III of Kirkland (Kandi), daughter, Dr. Jane Kaufman Pennella of Milford, Connecticut (Andrew), granddaughter, Amanda Kaufman, and stepson, Christopher MacRae. At Kaufman's request there was no service. Remembrances may be sent to The Nature Conservancy.