He became a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1951 and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1992. He died of Alzheimer's disease in Austin on August 31, 2006. Amsel was survived by his wife Tess and their children. Amsel had a Jaguar in his garage for many years; he said that the smell of the leather reminded him of when he was dating Tess.
