Dr Robert Flint Acker

Aug 24, 1920 - Jun 25, 2016

ACKER, Robert Flint Died peacefully at his home of natural causes on June 25, 2016, age 95, surrounded by his wife and children. Dr. Acker received his Bachelor degree in chemistry in 1942 from the University of Indiana.

nlisting in the navy following graduation, he served in World War II as a communications officer in the Pacific theater, returning to the University of Indiana at the end of the war to complete his Master's degree in bacteriology in 1948. He married Phyllis Fry Nickerson that same year.

Dr. Acker attended Rutgers University as a full-scholarship PhD candidate under the supervision of Dr. Selman Waksman, who received the Nobel Prize in 1952 for the discovery of streptomycin, the first effective treatment for tuberculosis. Awarded his Doctorate degree in microbiology from Rutgers in 1953, Dr. Acker conducted research in microbiology at Purdue University as a post-doctoral fellow before accepting a faculty position at Iowa State University. Dr. Acker held various positions through his career, including Assistant Dean for Research at Northwestern University, Executive Director of the American Society of Microbiology and Director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. Dr. Acker retired to Tucson in 1989.

After his wife's death in 2005, Dr. Acker married Helen Crawford Stephens. Helen brought great happiness to his life and a wonderful extended family that visited them regularly. The Acker family is grateful for the love and partnership Helen gave our father. Throughout his long life, Dr. Acker was an active member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, the American Academy of Microbiology and the American Institute for Biological Sciences. He was active in each of the Presbyterian congregations of which he was a member throughout his life.

Dr. Acker is survived by his wife, Helen, three of his four children, eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

A Memorial Service will be held for friends and family at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Tucson on Saturday, August 6, 2016 at 1:30 p.m.

Sources: Ancestry.com and FindAGrave.com

04/07/2025 EJS

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/225338807/robert_flint-acker