George Young
Honored Posthumously
Dr. Young was born in Syracuse, Nebraska in 1917. He received his B.A. degree in chemistry-bacteriology from the University of Nebraska in 1939 and a D.V.M. from Cornell University in 1943. He served in World War II as a U.S. Army officer and afterwards returned to academic work as a member of the University of Minnesota staff assigned to the Hormel Institute at Austin. During this time he was engaged in intensified research on swine diseases with emphasis in respiratory diseases.
In 1955 he joined the staff of the University of Nebraska Department of Veterinary Science and the following year he was made chairman of the department. He introduced techniques for obtaining and raising pathogen free colostrum-deprived pigs of (SPF) hogs as they are commonly called. Commercial laboratories to produce primary SPF pigs have originated in many states using techniques pioneered by Dr. Young.
He has received many regional, national and international honors and awards. They include the Animal Health Institute's Distinguished Service Award in 1961 and Sigma XI award, from both the University of Minnesota (1948) and University of Nebraska (1955). He was named Veterinarian of the Year in 1960 by the Nebraska Veterinary Medical Association. In 1961 he received the Gamma Sigma Delta National Award for Distinguished Service to Agriculture for his outstanding contributions to the field of livestock disease research.