In memoriam: Ira Abrahamson, MD
Ira Abrahamson Jr., MD, professor emeritus and founder of the Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute at Cincinnati Children’s, passed away on March 10, at the age of 93. The well-known ophthalmologist was passionate about eliminating preventable blindness in children.
Abrahamson was born in Cincinnati on July 19, 1924. One of nine children, he found his life calling following in his father’s footsteps, ophthalmologist Dr. Ira Abrahamson Sr. He landed a swimming scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, then earned his medical degree at the UC College of Medicine in 1948. After finishing his internship at Cincinnati General Hospital and his residency at the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, he enlisted in the US Coast Guard for a year. He then joined the army from 1951 to 1953, where he was chief of Ophthalmology at Ft. Eustis, VA, and Ft. Gordon, GA.
During this time, he encountered so many young men with amblyopia and strabismus that he decided to go into pediatrics where he could help future generations preserve their eyesight. He went on to champion early detection by developing and implementing vision screening programs that are still in existence today.
Abrahamson wrote many scientific articles and received numerous honors, but one of his most enduring legacies was the Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, which he established in 1995. He also funded the Goldman Chair Endowment at that time. A generous philanthropist, he took his commitment to children even further in 2005 when he pledged $2 million to endow the Goldman Chair of Pediatric Ophthalmology at UC. He and his late wife, Linda, hoped to ensure that there would forever be a connection between the UC College of Medicine Department of Ophthalmology and the Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology at Cincinnati Children’s.
Abrahamson is survived by his sons, Richard Abrahamson, MD, and Thomas Abrahamson; daughter Susan Routh; six grandchildren, and his sister Jean Abrahamson.
