Remembering Professor Daniel O. Graney

Dan Graney was a dedicated educator who taught Human Anatomy, Neuroanatomy, Histology and Embryology to generations of MD, MD/PhDs, DDSs, RNs and other healthcare professionals in Surgery, Ophthalmology, Urology and Bioengineering throughout the UWSOM and WWAMI. His undergraduate studies were at UC Berkeley, and he received a Ph.D. in Anatomy from UC San Francisco. In 1966, after completion of a post-doctoral Fellowship in Anatomy at the Harvard Medical School, he joined the faculty of Biological Structure in Seattle. His early research in Cell Biology emphasized the fine structure of intestinal epithelium. At the time of his retirement in 2013, he was teaching grandchildren of his early students.

Dan’s enthusiastic commitment to medical education was exceptional and recognized with numerous teaching awards. So many, in fact, that he became a Teacher Superior in Perpetuity and the University retired him from competing for further awards.

He was Director of the Willed Body Program for several decades, supporting thousands of students across the state in programs of Anatomical education. He became President of the American Association for Clinical Anatomists (AACA) and received the R. Benton Adkins, Jr. Distinguished Service Award, for his tireless efforts, locally, nationally and internationally to promote the highest level of Anatomical education through teaching and Anatomical research. He attributed much of his success to the support of his wife and sons, Carol, Steve and Don, and his motivation to his brothers, Jack, killed in the Korean War, and Don, killed while serving in Vietnam.  He mentioned how their sacrifice inspired his intense dedication to the education of healthcare professionals.

Dan was very popular with students and known for well-organized lectures, closely linked to laboratory dissection. Few faculty can bring together the subjects of Human Anatomy, Neuroanatomy, and Embryology and connect them with examples of clinical medicine that students will see in their patients.

Dan’s light side came through in clinical anecdotes that were frequently based on experiences raising his family.  His endless supply of stories left students wondering how his children survived childhood. In lab, his dissection skills are legendary. He is still known as the “man with the golden scissors”. What students remember most about Dan Graney is his warm, reassuring style as a teacher. While the massive amount of information in Human Anatomy can seem overwhelming, even intimidating, he created a comfortable learning environment where students felt free to make mistakes, admit their concerns and seek his guidance with their intense studies.

Biological Structure appreciates Dan Graney for bringing scholarship and commitment to the educational missions of the Department in WWAMI and the UWSOM.  His achievements and their impact to the University and the State are highly significant. He will be missed greatly by his colleagues and friends in our department.

Seattle Times Obituary:  https://obituaries.seattletimes.com/obituary/dr-daniel-graney-1086973794/