George Kraft Obituary, Death – On Tuesday, November 1, 2022, George Kraft, MD, MS, who had previously served as president of the AANEM, passed away. Shirlyn Adkins, JD, the Executive Director of the AANEM, expressed her sorrow at the news of the passing of Dr. George Kraft, a friend and longtime member of the organization. “He was a wonderful instructor and he will be sorely missed.” In 1958, Dr. Kraft graduated from Harvard College with an Bachelor of Arts degree. At The Ohio State University, he received his medical degree in 1963, his master’s degree in 1967, and his residency in 1967. After completing his training, Dr. Kraft served in the Medical Corps of the United States Navy from 1967 until 1969. Subsequently, he worked in the department of PM&R at the University of Washington as an assistant professor, a professor, and eventually as a professor emeritus.
Throughout the course of his career, Dr. Kraft held leadership positions in a number of academic institutions, hospitals, and professional associations. He was a very involved member of the AANEM, having served the organization on the Board of Directors from 1981 to 1984 and having held the presidency from 1982 to 1983. Dr. Kraft was also a member of the Muscle & Nerve Editorial Board in addition to participating in a number of other committees. At the AANEM Annual Meetings, he was a frequent speaker, and he was the first president to include workshops as part of the agenda for those meetings. You can watch Dr. Kraft discuss his time as AANEM president in this video, which can be found here.
Because of his significant contributions to electrodiagnostic medicine and multiple sclerosis research, care, and education, Dr. Kraft was presented with the Distinguished Researcher Award by the AANEM in the year 1996 and the Lifetime Achievement Award in the year 2004. In addition to the AANEM, he served as a past chair of the American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine and as a past president of the American Academy of Clinical Neurophysiology, the Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP), and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He is also a fellow of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Dr. Kraft has been presented with a number of awards, including the Distinguished Academician Award from the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAP), the Krusen Award from the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R), the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award and the Outstanding Patient Educator Award from the University of Washington, respectively. Many people will fondly remember him as an exceptional clinician, researcher, educator, mentor, and friend after his passing. He will be greatly missed.
