Edmund Slocum Crelin, Jr., Ph.D., D.Sc, b.1923, d.2004 was Professor Emeritus of Anatomy at Yale University.
He was born in Red Bank, New Jersey on April 26, 1923, oldest son of Agatha Bublin Crelin and Edmund S. Crelin, Sr. He was valedictorian of the 1942 senior class at Red Bank High School. After brief service in the USN SeaBees during World War II, he enrolled at Central College in Pella, Iowa where he received his B.A. cum laude in 1947, majoring in biology. He was promptly accepted at Yale University and earned his Ph.D. from Yale University School of Medicine in 1951.
Dr. Crelin died on June 21, 2004.
He then joined the School of Medicine faculty, became a Full Professor of Anatomy in 1968, served as department chairman from 1974–1984 and was awarded the honor of Professor Emeritus upon his retirement in 1991. Dr. Crelin was a member of the American Association of Anatomists, Sigma Xi, AAAS and AMA, served as associate editor of the Anatomical Record from 1968–1974 and was an editor for the standard handbook, Gray's Anatomy
Dr. Crelin helped establish the Physician Associates program at the Yale University School of Medicine. As chairman of the Human Growth and Development Study Unit, he was instrumental in the genesis of Yale’s now world famous neonatal and ultrasound units. Dr. Crelin was a consultant to the Newborn Special Care unit of the Yale-New Haven Medical Center.
Beyond his achievements as an educator, he was a leading research scientist; his 159 published articles in medical and scientific journals cover cell cancer and bone research, development and physiology of connective tissues, human development and our anthropological evolution of the foot and the vocal tract.
He was the author of three books. His 365 plate self illustrated Anatomy of the Newborn, which took 6 years to complete, was the first atlas of human infant anatomy in medical history. Published in 1969 by Lea & Febiger, it is renowned as a ”milestone in medicine,” along with its accompanying text, Functional Anatomy of the Newborn, published by Yale University Press in 1973. Published in many languages, they are still considered premier references in the field. His third book, The Human Vocal Tract (Anatomy, Function, Development and Evolution) was published in 1987.
In addition to having passion for his work, Dr. Crelin was an artist, sculptor, all-around handyman, avid sports fan and military history buff. From an early age Edmund nurtured a lifetime love and part time career in music as an accomplished trumpet player, organizing and directing his own swing bands in high school and college. He was married for 56 years, father of four and grandfather of 12 children