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Submitted: 10/1/22 • Approved: 10/1/22 • Last Updated: 10/4/22 • R1452012-G1452011-S3
John
July 9, 1903 - April 10, 1953
"John Reagan Abernethy, an Associate of the Society, died suddenly
at his home in Dover, Arkansas, on April 11, 1953, apparently of a heart attack, while asleep.
Mr. Abernethy, of Scottish ancestry and the son of a Methodist minister,was born July 9, 1903 in Western, North Carolina. He received an A.B. degree from Trinity College (now Duke University) with highest honors in mathematics; an A.M. degree from the University of North Carolina; and a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Michigan.
He also studied at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.
Mr. Abernethy devoted full time to actuarial work for a few years only.During that period he served with the Jefferson Standard, the Nordisk and Dansk Livsforsikring in Denmark, the Maccabees, as Actuary for the Life Insurance Company of Detroit, and for the Central Life Insurance Company of Illinois. Although he did consulting actuarial work to the
time of his death, he devoted most of his time to teaching mathematics.
He was head of the Department of Mathematics at Arkansas Polytechnic College for the five years preceding his death.
In 1938 Mr. Abernethy won the Triennial Prize awarded by the
American Institute of Actuaries for his paper entitled "Juvenile Mortality Experienced by Fraternal Benefit Societies." He was a member of a number of educational and mathematical societies and the first president of the Arkansas Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Mr. Abernethy was also devoted to community affairs. He was depended upon for many things, always giving generously of himself to all who needed his help. He will be greatly missed by his many friends.
"John Reagan Abernethy (MA), 49, head of mathematics at Arkansas Tech College in Russelville, died April 11, 1953 at his home near Dover, Ark. He was graduated at Duke in 1924, studied graduate math at UNC in 1924-25, and later took the Ph.D. at Michigan in 1932. Surviving are his wife (nee: Dorothy Dunning s, '27-28, of Roanoke Rapids) and four sons."
Dorothy
1907 - 1979
Contributed on 10/1/22 by Billsully060
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Record #: 1452012