Stanley Kerr
Encyclopedia
Stanley Elphinstone Kerr was an American
humanitarian, clinical biochemist and educator. He was the father of Malcolm Kerr, former president of the American University of Beirut
and the grandfather of NBA player Steve Kerr
.
A clinical biochemist at Walter Reed Hospital, he left the United States
in 1919 to serve as a volunteer for Near East Relief. He began his service in Aleppo
during an Armenian refugee crisis when many of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide
had escaped.He worked as a medical and sanitary officer. He also worked to recover Armenian children from the Kurdish and Turkoman families into which they had been forced. He published The Lions of Marash that describe his work there.
In 1921 Stanley and his wife, Elsa Reckman Kerr, joined the staff of a Near East Relief orphanage for Armenian children at Nahr Ibrahim, Lebanon. The orphanage was abandoned in 1923 due to outbreaks of malaria.
After earning his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, Stanley and Elsa returned to the Middle East where he accepted the position of chairman of the Department of Biochemistry at the American University of Beirut. Elsa Kerr also served on the AUB faculty as Dean of Women students. They had four children: Marion, Dorothy, Douglas, and Malcolm Kerr.
In 1965, following 40 years of faculty service, Stanley retired with the rank of Distinguished Professor. In recognition of his service, the Republic of Lebanon conferred upon him its Order of Merit and its Order of Cedars (Chevalier rank). He and Elsa retired to Princeton, New Jersey. Stanley Kerr died in 1976.
Kerr mentioned in Google Books sample of "Starving Armenians" page 92.
A selection of Stanley Kerr's papers relating to his work with the Near East Relief are held by the Zoryan Institute http://zoryaninstitute.org/index.shtml
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
humanitarian, clinical biochemist and educator. He was the father of Malcolm Kerr, former president of the American University of Beirut
American University of Beirut
The American University of Beirut is a private, independent university in Beirut, Lebanon. It was founded as the Syrian Protestant College by American missionaries in 1866...
and the grandfather of NBA player Steve Kerr
Steve Kerr
Stephen Douglas "Steve" Kerr is a retired American professional basketball player. He shot .454 from three point range over his career and currently holds the record as the most accurate three-point shooter in NBA history...
.
A clinical biochemist at Walter Reed Hospital, he left the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1919 to serve as a volunteer for Near East Relief. He began his service in Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
during an Armenian refugee crisis when many of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
had escaped.He worked as a medical and sanitary officer. He also worked to recover Armenian children from the Kurdish and Turkoman families into which they had been forced. He published The Lions of Marash that describe his work there.
In 1921 Stanley and his wife, Elsa Reckman Kerr, joined the staff of a Near East Relief orphanage for Armenian children at Nahr Ibrahim, Lebanon. The orphanage was abandoned in 1923 due to outbreaks of malaria.
After earning his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, Stanley and Elsa returned to the Middle East where he accepted the position of chairman of the Department of Biochemistry at the American University of Beirut. Elsa Kerr also served on the AUB faculty as Dean of Women students. They had four children: Marion, Dorothy, Douglas, and Malcolm Kerr.
In 1965, following 40 years of faculty service, Stanley retired with the rank of Distinguished Professor. In recognition of his service, the Republic of Lebanon conferred upon him its Order of Merit and its Order of Cedars (Chevalier rank). He and Elsa retired to Princeton, New Jersey. Stanley Kerr died in 1976.
External links
Google Books sample of Stanley Kerr's The Lions of Marash.Kerr mentioned in Google Books sample of "Starving Armenians" page 92.
A selection of Stanley Kerr's papers relating to his work with the Near East Relief are held by the Zoryan Institute http://zoryaninstitute.org/index.shtml