Honoring Ed Behrman

The work and research of the National Fragile X Foundation have greatly benefited Ed and his Family. He would be deeply humbled and honored to know that his name was connected with ongoing efforts in research and education to help other families.

Within hours of Ed Behrman’s death, his brain and other tissue samples were en route to research groups with whom he had long been a subject. Many years earlier he had accompanied his young grandson Andrew, who has Fragile X, on a trip to be evaluated by the Hagermans, and became one of the first subjects in a study of what is now called FXTAS.

Ed was someone who always gave of himself. After college, he volunteered to serve in the army in Korea, where he led a unit that evacuated wounded soldiers from the front lines to MASH units or hospitals for care. That experience led to what would become his life’s work: teaching those who manage and staff hospitals. For 34 years he taught hospital administration in the graduate program at St. Louis University. At the same time, he led the continuing education program at the Catholic Hospital Association, offering courses for those in a wide range of roles, from nurses all the way up to executives and trustees.