George A. Sisson, MD Obituary

August 8, 2006

George A. Sisson, Jr., MD, a member of the Board of Directors of the American Hearing Research Foundation from 1975 to 1982, passed away on Sunday, August 6, 2006. Dr. Sisson was Chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology and part of the medical staff at Northwestern University’s School of Medicine for more than 25 years until he retired in 1993.

His research has focused on cancer of the head and neck and surgery. He helped found the Yul Brynner Head and Neck Cancer Foundation as a result of an unplanned meeting of the actor Yul Brynner, who developed hoarseness before a performance of "The King and I" in Chicago. Mr. Brynner was referred to Dr. Sisson, who treated him, and the two became fast friends. Later, when Mr. Brynner developed tumors in his jaw due to tobacco use, he decided to launch the Yul Brynner Foundation with Dr. Sisson.

Dr. Sisson received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Syracuse University, and his post-graduate training at the Bellevue Medical Center and the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital.