Car Accident Claims the Life of Bob Morrison

May 3, 2017 — 

Dr Bob Morrison, Deb Spronk (wife of Dr Gordon Spronk) and Pam Wetzell (wife of Dr Tom Wetzell) were killed in a traffic accident in Prague, Czech Republic on May 2, 2017. Dr Morrison's wife Jeanie is reported to be in critical condition. Drs Spronk and Wetzell were treated at a local hospital and released. The group was traveling to the European College of Porcine Health Management Conference in Prague when the accident occurred.

Dr Morrison obtained his DVM in 1979 from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan. He earned his PhD (1984) and MBA (1995) from the University of Minnesota. He was a longtime member of AASP/AASV since joining in 1985 and served as the AASV President in 2000. He received the AASV Meritorious Service Award in 1995 and the Howard Dunne Memorial Award from AASV in 2010. Dr Morrison served as the Executive Editor of Swine Health and Production from 1993 through 1998. He was a faculty member in the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr Morrison was named one of the 2016 Masters of the Pork Industry by National Hog Farmer. He was instrumental in the formation of the Swine Health Monitoring Project which provides an opportunity for producers to voluntarily provide data on swine diseases in order to enlighten the industry on the national prevalence and incidence of diseases of concern. In a 2016 article in National Hog Farmer, he commented that "I enjoy teaching; I love fertile minds who want to learn. I'm curious; I always want to learn more. I hope I have helped and inspired others along their path as others have helped me." He went on to say that he hoped his legacy will reflect his yearning for knowledge and the mission to "do work that matters."

AASV will provide additional details as they become available. Please join us in offering condolences to all three families during this time of grief.