John Paul Kramer, professor emeritus of entomology, died of pulmonary fibrosis at Oak Hill Manor in Ithaca July 26 at age 84.

Kramer was an expert on microbial diseases of insects, particularly protozoal and fungal pathogens, publishing about 100 articles on his research. He elucidated the series of events that led to fatal microsporidial infections in the insect. He also characterized fungi that cause fatal infections in pestiferous flies and mosquitoes and demonstrated their potential usefulness in control practices. In collaboration with colleagues in Brazil, he characterized a protozoan new to science associated with the causative agent of Chagas disease.

Kramer, an identical twin, was born in Elgin, Ill., March 13, 1928. He earned a B.S. in biology at Beloit College (1950), an M.S. in entomology at the University of Missouri (1952) and a Ph.D. in entomology from the University of Illinois (1958).

He was a U.S. Army medical entomologist from 1952 to 1954, attained the rank of first lieutenant and won the Bronze Star Medal and the Korean Service Medal with two battle stars.

Prior to joining the Cornell faculty in 1965, Kramer was an assistant professor of entomology at North Carolina State University (1958-59) and an associate entomologist at the Illinois Natural History Survey (1959-65). He was promoted to full professor at Cornell in 1970.

He served on the Study Section for Tropical Medicine and Parasitology at the National Institutes of Health and as a traveling consultant for the World Health Organization.

Kramer is survived by a daughter and extended family members. At Kramer's request, no memorial service is scheduled. Memorial donations can be addressed to a charity of one's choice.