Dr. Harold Abramson was born in New York City on October 4, 1899. He received a B.A. from Columbia in 1920, an M.D. degree from the College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1924, and an M.A. in Psychology from Columbia in 1932. He served as Associate Pediatrician at Beth Israel Hospital and as Epidemiologist-in-Charge of the Division of Maternity and Newborn Services of the Bureau of Preventable Diseases of the New York City Department of Health. In the 1930s, he wrote numerous articles on epidemic diarrhea of the newborn. He joined the pediatric staff of New York Medical College in 1954, became Director of the Maternal and Child Health Program in 1959, Professor of Pediatrics in 1964, and later became Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics. He edited the book Resuscitation of the Newborn, which went through three editions between 1961 and 1973. He was a member of numerous medical and scientific societies, and was chairman of several committees of the Medical Society of the County of New York. Dr. Abramson died on October 13, 1974.

It is important not to confuse Harold Abramson (1899-1974) with Harold A. Abramson (1899-1980) who graduated from Columbia College in 1919 and received his M.D. from the College of Physicians & Surgeons in 1923.