AAI In Memoriam

J. Donald Capra

Former AAI secretary-treasurer J. Donald "Don" Capra, M.D. (AAI ’70), died on February 24, 2015, at the age of 77 following an extended illness. Dr. Capra served as secretary-treasurer on the AAI Council and chaired the AAI Finance Committee from 1997-2003. He was a recipient of the AAI Distinguished Service Award in 1993 for his service as chair of the AAI Program Committee and previously served as a member and chair of the AAI Nominating Committee and member of the AAI Committee on Public Affairs. In addition, Capra was a past associate and section editor for The Journal of Immunology and an AAI delegate to the International Union of Immunological Societies General Assembly. His antibody research during a lengthy tenure at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center is credited with helping lay the foundation for the field of monoclonal antibody therapy in a number of human diseases. At the time of his death, Capra was President Emeritus of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, which doubled in size and more than tripled its NIH funding support during his 9-year leadership beginning in 1997. An AAI in memoriam appeared in the June 2015 issue of the AAI Newsletter. Obituaries published by The New York Times, Burlington Free Press, Abilene Reporter-News, The Oklahoman, and other publications are available via the University of Texas memorial site.