DEPARTMENTS
IN MEMORIAM
Harry J. Ettinger (pictured) served as AIHA president in 1993–1994.
BOB LIECKFIELD, JR., CIH, FAIHA, is secretary/treasurer of the AIHA Yuma Pacific Southwest Section.
Contributions in memory of Harry Ettinger may be sent to the Friends of Los Alamos County Libraries, June and Harry Ettinger Memorial Scholarship, 2400 Central Ave., Los Alamos, NM 87544.
Send feedback to The Synergist.
Harry J. Ettinger, 1934–2022
BY BOB LIECKFIELD, JR.
An industrial hygiene icon, Harry J. Ettinger, CIH, FAIHA, passed away on Dec. 12, 2022, at the age of 88. Born in the Bronx, New York, on July 20, 1934, Harry earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from City College of New York and New York University, respectively. After completing his education, he went to work with the U.S. Public Health Service and the National Institutes of Health. In 1961, he accepted a position with the Health and Safety Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he spent 36 years focusing on industrial hygiene in a variety of positions from field industrial hygienist to deputy division leader. Harry retired from LANL in 1997 but remained active as a consultant until his full retirement in 2014.
Harry was preceded in death by his loving wife June and his daughter Linda. He is survived by his son Steven, daughter-in-law Lainie, granddaughters Madeline and Grace, son Robert, and daughter-in-law Karen. A remembrance of Harry published in the Los Alamos Daily Post notes that he “was very proud of the accomplishments of his three children and two grandchildren” and that he “guided each of them as a mentor and sounding board in their educational and professional journeys through his frequent phone calls, thoughtful cards, and loving support”—the same type of counsel he provided to his many friends and colleagues in his more than 60 years in the industrial hygiene profession.
In 1987, while working at LANL, Harry accepted a temporary assignment with OSHA as the project director for the agency’s effort to update its permissible exposure limits. Harry and June relocated to Washington for two years while he completed this work. Published in the Federal Register in January 1989, the Air Contaminants Final Rule updated PELs for 212 substances and adopted new PELs for 164 others but was later overturned by a court decision.
Harry worked tirelessly to promote industrial hygiene and worker safety, not only at LANL but throughout the United States and the global community.
Harry worked tirelessly to promote industrial hygiene and worker safety, not only at LANL but throughout the United States and the global community. He served on the AIHA Board of Directors from 1987 through 1990 and as president in 1993–1994. Harry also served on the boards of the International Society for Respiratory Protection (1985–1988 and 1995–1997), the International Occupational Hygiene Association (1994–1997), and the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (1979–1985) and as ABIH chair from 1983 through 1985. He was an active member of the American Academy of Industrial Hygiene and the American Association for Aerosol Research.
Harry’s career and accomplishments were honored with the designation of AIHA Fellow and several AIHA awards, including the Edward J. Baier Award (1990), Donald E. Cummings Award (2003), and Henry F. Smyth Jr. Award (2004). In 1985, he received the ACGIH Meritorious Achievement Award. The AIHA Yuma Pacific Southwest Local Section recognized Harry with the Clayton Award in 2017 for his distinguished contributions to the occupational health profession.
Aside from his professional contributions, Harry was a member of the board of directors of the Los Alamos Jewish Center and served as its president. He also served on the boards of the County Planning and Zoning Commission and Los Alamos County Utility Board.
Many who knew Harry would agree with Frank Hearl’s description of him as “a true gentleman, and very committed to occupational safety and health.” Chris Laszcz-Davis echoed those sentiments, saying, “I’ll always remember Harry as extremely bright and hardworking, and always striving to raise the bar professionally. As a person, Harry was a generous, thoughtful, and loyal human being.” Said Richard Fulwiler, “We lost a real pioneer. Harry was a crown jewel in the history of IH.”
The industrial hygiene profession celebrates Harry and all his accomplishments. His intense desire to ensure the health and safety of all workers while cultivating lifelong friendships with so many is a testament to his legacy. We owe a debt of gratitude to Harry and all the other health and safety pioneers who helped pave the path for worker safety and health.
RESOURCES
Los Alamos Daily Post: “Obituary: Harry Ettinger July 20, 1934 – Dec. 12, 2022” (December 2022).
Prabook: “Harry Joseph Ettinger.”
The Synergist: “A Standard Like No Other” (May 2014).