JOHN
WELLINGTON IRWIN, M.D.
JOHN WELLINGTON IRWIN, M.D., died on
May 12, 2003 at Emerson Hospital, Concord, Massachusetts.
He was born on October 25, 1915 in Corry, Pennsylvania to
Maude and Claude Irwin and was first in his class at
Union Endicott High School in Endicott, New York. He was
a graduate of Hamilton College and received his M.D. from
the University of Pennsylvania in 1942 after which he
served an internship at Binghamton City Hospital and a
residency at the Veterans Hospital in Framingham,
Massachusetts. During World War II he served as a
lieutenant at Billings General Hospital in 1943 and
transferred to Cushing General Hospital in Framingham as
a captain, eventually receiving a medical discharge
because of his asthma. Licensed to practice medicine in
Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania, he settled in
the Boston area (at the Massachusetts General Hospital)
after spending a postdoctoral year (1949-1950) with Dr.
Melvin Knisely in Charleston, SC studying
microcirculation. He became a member of the Massachusetts
Medical Society in 1951 and was appointed a Clinical
Research Fellow at the Massachusetts General Hospital
(MGH) in 1956 at which time he joined the Massachusetts
Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) eventually becoming the
Coordinator of Research for Otolaryngology. Throughout
the remainder of his career, he continued to see patients
while conducting research on the blood supply to the
lungs and ear. As a member of the Harvard Medical School
community, he taught students and fellows in his
Microcirculatory Laboratory at the MEEI. He was
instrumental in establishing the Eaton-Peabody
Laboratory, which is today one of the leading
laboratories studying hearing. He was a member of the
American Medical Association; American Academy of
Allergy, Asthma and Immunology; the Association for
Research in Otolaryngology the American Association of
Anatomists; and the New York Academy of Sciences. He
was a founding member of the United States
Microcirculatory Society and played a leading role in
advancing the Microcirculatory Society to it's current
important role in the vascular research community. Dr.
Irwin was also a founding member of the European
Microcirculation Society. He served on many advisory
committees for the National Institutes of Health,
including the Health Research Facilities Scientific
Review Committee and the Physiology Training. He retired
in 1982 to his home in Lincoln, Massachusetts, but
continued his well-known interest in international
travel.
He was married to Mary Minor Irwin who
preceded him in death October 11, 2002. They leave two
daughters, Susan Irwin Schneider of Chevy Chase, MD and
Sara L. Irwin of Cypress, TX and two grandchildren,
Alexander and Lydia Schneider of Chevy Chase.
Memorial
Presentation
given by Dr. Robert
McCuskey at the Memorial Program for John W. Irwin,
M.D.
July 23, 2003 at the Massachusetts Ear and Eye
Infirmary:
I would like to share a few
remembrances of John Irwin, not only personally as his
friend and colleague for more than 40 years, but also
officially as the President of the American Association
of Anatomists and as a representative for Dr. Geert
Schmid-Shoenbein, President of The Microcirculatory
Society, Inc. Jon was an active member of both societies
and was instrumental in the formation of both
organizations.
I first met John Irwin in 1959 while a
student in the laboratory of his close friend and
colleague, Edward H. Bloch--known as Maxl to his friends.
Both John and Maxl were extremely supportive and kind to
me, not only while I was a student, but also during my
entire professional career.
John and Maxl both received their
microcirculatory training in the laboratory of Melvin H.
Knisely. To their embarrassment, Melvin often introduced
them as his intellectual children--and me as his
intellectual grand child! In 1954, John and Maxl
organized the First Microcirculatory Conference and the
formation of The Microcirculatory Society, Inc. It was
held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the
American Association of Anatomists in Galveston, Texas.
John later was instrumental in the formation of the
European Microcirculatory Society. Until the mid-1980's,
John attended the meetings of these organizations, often
sitting in the front row ready to ask penetration
questions or make substantive comments. His attendance at
the European meetings lasted until a few years
ago.
John had a very special personality.
When John and Maxl roomed together at various scientific
meetings, they were in competition with each other as to
who could travel with the least amount of clothes and
luggage. Daily laundry was routine as were washable
Brooks Brothers suits. At these meetings, I frequently
was invited to join them on their gastronomic adventures.
These always were both enjoyable and entertaining given
their highly opinionated preferences for food and
restaurants as well as hotels. John took the forefront
here--the Ritz in Boston for the finest dining and room
accommodations in Boston, the Oak Room at the Plaza in
New York, Herrdegan's in Mannheim, Germany for
lunch--especially the soup--the Oeler Hotel in Basel,
Switzerland for "the best liver in the world." During one
of his visits to the Urbascheks' Institute at the
University of Heidelberg, John took the train to Basel to
have liver for lunch! At the 1st World Congress for
Microcirculation in Toronto in 1975, John and Mary shared
a table with Bernhard and Renate Urbaschek, Maxl, my wife
and me. It was an outdoor ox roast barbeque with dinner
provided buffet style--this was not acceptable to
John--he refused to stand in line or let anyone bring him
any food so "crudely" prepared and served! Later to
everyone's surprise, especially Mary's, he joined in
square dancing.
The last time I saw John was in
Heidelberg in 1996. We both had attended the 6th World
Congress for Microcirculation in Munich and subsequently
were visiting the Urbascheks. As usual, John stayed at
the Europaischehof Hotel where we had, what turned out to
be our last dinner together in the hotel's excellent
restaurant, In der Kurzfurstenstubbe.
On behalf of The Microcirculatory
Society, the American Association of Anatomists, as well
as myself personally--farewell old friend and
colleague--you will be missed, but will remain in our
memories for your special personality and numerous
professional contributions.
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CHRISTOPHER
A. DAWSON, M.D.
Christopher A. Dawson, Ph.D.,
Professor and eminent research scientist died suddenly
and unexpectedly in his office, Saturday, July 12, 2003.
He is recognized as an inspirational mentor and model
researcher, and has had a profound influence as a teacher
and faculty leader at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Dr. Dawson was born in 1942 in Long Beach, California and
received his Ph.D degree in the Physiological Sciences at
the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1969. As a
Professor of Physiology and Medicine at the Medical
College of Wisconsin and at Marquette University in the
Department of Biomedical Engineering, he was recognized
as one of the world's experts in the circulation within
the lung. As documented by more than 200 original
research publications and 22 invited reviews and book
chapters, he and his associates pioneered many novel
technologies that revealed important functions of the
lung that were previously unknown. He served as an
Associate Editor of the major research journal in his
field, the Journal of Applied Physiology. His scholarly
and multifaceted works were supported continuously since
1971 by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the
National Institutes of Health. His research led to the
discovery that the lining of the blood vessels in the
lungs contribute importantly to the regulation of
hormones that modify blood flow and other functions in
the body.
His quiet and humble manner, exacting
scientific standards, and selfless encouragement of other
researchers made him a highly sought source of sound
advice. Dr. Dawson's research laboratories were located
at the Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center where he
collaborated closely with a number of bioengineers at
Marquette University and with the physicians and basic
science faculty of the Medical College of Wisconsin, the
Zablocki Veterans Hospital, the Froedtert Lutheran
Memorial Hospital, and the Children's Hospital of
Southeast Wisconsin. For his internationally-recognized
contributions to lung research, Dr. Dawson was given the
Medical Career Scientist Award by the Department of
Veterans Affairs in 1999; in the same year he received
the Distinguished Service Award by the Medical College of
Wisconsin.
Dr. Dawson is survived by his wife
Michal Ann; his daughter Marcey Kay, her husband Keith
Gulley, and their son Dawson Gulley; his son Brian
Christopher, wife Cecilia, and their daughter Kana Rose;
his mother Elvira and father Alfred; and, his brother
Mark and wife Rebecca.
A memorial service was held Thursday,
July 17, 4:00-6:00 p.m. at the Milwaukee County Transit
Center, Harbor Lights Room, 909 East Wisconsin. All
donations should be directed to the Downtown Branch of
the YMCA, 161 West Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
53203.