Murry A. Tamers ’55

Murry Tamers, a pioneer in the field of carbon-14 dating, died Nov. 8, 2020, at his home in Coral Gables, Fla., after dealing with Parkinson’s for two years. His daughter, Caroline Goosman, said, “He had a very full life, a wonderful life. He was very grateful.”

Murry was born June 21, 1933, in Pittsburgh, Pa., and attended Ambridge (Pa.) High School. At Princeton he majored in chemistry and joined Cloister. His roommates were A.H. Dionisi and Don Johnson. After Princeton he earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Yale and a D.Sc. from the Sorbonne. He was a director for university radiocarbon-dating labs for 20 years before 1979, when he and Jerry Stipp co-founded Beta Analytic in Miami. 

Since its creation in the 1940s, most carbon-14 dating had been laboriously done in university labs. Beta Analytic became one of the world’s leading commercial labs, offering quicker turnaround. 

In addition to a passion for travel, Murry had a deep love of art and was a prolific painter.

There were no published obituaries of Murry, said his daughter Caroline, “because memorials were not in his nature. But he did approve of having his passing noted at Princeton.” Murry is survived by Caroline, sons Thierry and Andre, and five grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife, Monique.