Author Archives: Gino Pasi

Eula Bingham 1929-2020

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Staff here at the Winkler Center were saddened to hear of the passing over the weekend of great friend and supporter, Eula Bingham. Her long and illustrious career bespoke a dedication to and undying support of American laborers and their right to work in safe and healthy conditions. In addition, she was steadfast in her commitment to research, students, and the Department of Environmental Health in the College of Medicine here at the University of Cincinnati.

Eula Bingham was born on farm near Covington, Kentucky in 1929. After receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and biology at Eastern Kentucky University, she began her career at the University of Cincinnati (UC) as a graduate student in 1955. It was as a graduate student that she worked as a technician at the Kettering Laboratory under her mentor Dr. Robert Kehoe. There she did research in the toxicology division of what later became the Department of Environmental Health in the College of Medicine.

Upon receiving her PhD in Zoology and Physiology from UC with minors in Ecology and Biochemistry in 1958, she was appointed Assistant Professor in the College of Medicine. Her research in toxicology continued with an emphasis in chemical carcinogens. Eventually Dr. Bingham’s pioneering research merged with her growing concern with workplace exposure to cancer causing chemical agents.

Her interest in worker safety and health lead to her participation in numerous national efforts in protecting workers. In the 1970s, union advocates and leaders like Tony Mazzochi sought her expert opinion in legislative issues. Dr. Bingham’s growing reputation led to her inclusion, and leadership appointments, on several Department of Labor, Department of Energy, and other federal committees.  As a result, she was asked by President Jimmy Carter in 1977 to lead the Occupational, Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as Assistant Secretary of Labor—the first woman to lead the department. While there, she was instrumental in developing standards and training for workers, unions, and management on workplace hazards.

She returned to the University of Cincinnati as Vice President (VP) of Research and Graduate Studies (1981-1990). During this tenure, she maintained her research interests, continued to publish in the field of industrial health, and was instrumental in petitioning state legislatures to enforce labeling standards on hazardous materials in the workplace. Upon leaving the VP position, she returned to research and authored numerous grants. One of these, was to perform a study at the Oakridge National Laboratory in Tennessee where for almost a half century workers had been exposed to radiation, mercury, and other hazardous and cancer causing materials. Results of the study led to legislation providing for free healthcare, testing, and screenings for workers affected through the years, and the safe removal of contaminants from the facility.

Eula Bingham retired in 2000 as Professor Emerita, Environmental Health, College of Medicine. She maintained an office at UC, and was a frequent visitor to and vigilant supporter of the Winkler Center and its activities. We will miss her livelty spirit and constant spark. In the spring of 2018, Dr. Bingham graciously sat for an oral history conducted by honors students of HST 3097, an honors seminar course titled “Bearcat Legacies.” The project was done in cooperation with the University of Cincinnati Emeriti Faculty History Project. Please follow the video links for parts one and two  of the interview for more on her life and work.

John McDonough–Reminiscences

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Back in late November, the Winkler Center was sad to the share the news of John “Jack” McDonough’s passing.  After that post, several friends of the Winkler Center, and current and former advisory board members shared with us some reminiscences of their friend and colleague. With their permission we’ve reprinted a few below.

McDonough with Marianne Ivey

Marianne Ivey: I was very sad to hear of the passing of Dr. Jack McDonough. He was extremely important to the Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions in several ways, and I was lucky to experience his leadership, and influence, first hand.

As chair of the Winkler Center Advisory Board, Jack was a passionate fundraiser for the Center. He was very successful in sharing the important mission of the Center with his UC School of Medicine colleagues. Not only did he have ideas, but was also proactive in supporting activities that shared the important legacies of those talented UC colleagues. Jack was adept at involving other members of the UC healthcare community in the Winkler Center. Along with Jane Henney, MD, former Senior Vice President and Provost for Health Affairs, the Profressons of pharmacy, nursing and allied health were invited to be full participants. When Jack left Cincinnati I became chair of the Center. He was very generous in sharing his materials and ideas with me.  His example is being emulated still and I think he would be happy with that legacy

L to R, William Camm, Edward Otten, Jack McDonough

William Camm: I’ve known Jack McDonough for at least 45 yrs. I remember when he was a surgical resident when I was a college student working for Dr Altemeier insurgical bacteriology. Jack was then an instructor and teacher in surgery when I was a medical student. His surgical knowledge and technical skills were among the best I have ever seen. He was always so kind and helpful to medical students.  He recruited me to join the Winkler Center Advisory Board and I had hoped to interview him as part of our video interviews of past great clinicians. I’ve modeled all my interviews based on reviewing the great one’s Jack did (Drs. Helmsworth, Neale and Martin to name a few). He was the consummate gentleman and the best hand surgeon I’ve ever known. I will certainly miss him.

Dan Lucas: Wholeheartedly agree on the importance of Dr. McDonough.  Not only was he a gem of a person, but he kept the Winkler Center alive during a tenuous period when its current location was very much in jeopardy.  His passing is a huge loss.

Stephen Marine: Jack’s biggest accomplishment [as chair of the Winkler Center advisory board] was getting the Center named for Henry [Winkler], which he accomplished just a year or two before Henry died. I think when discussing his work for the Winkler Center, you also need to consider his marshaling of the board, at the time, to increase its fund raising role in addition to its advisory duties.  He tirelessly worked for increases in gift giving with an emphasis on endowments and leveraged his community contacts to bring greater visibility to the Center. Finally, he brought much needed diversity to the Winkler Center board in just about any way you can imagine. Jack always worked hand in glove with me and others at the Center but never interfered in operational matters.

Henry Winkler and Jack McDonough at the Winkler Centers Dedication, March 25, 2009

 

 

John McDonough, MD

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It is with great sadness that the Winkler Center reports the passing of John “Jack” McDonough. He died unexpectedly at his home in Tenants Harbor, Maine on November 7th. He was 77. Dr. McDonough was known for many things, but as chair of the Winkler Center’s advisory board he worked tirelessly on, and was a driving force behind, a number of successful initiatives. It was under his chairmanship that the Center for the History of the Health Professions was named for then UC president emeritus Henry R. Winkler. Dr. McDonough marshaled the advisory board to increase its fundraising role in addition to it advisory duties. He oversaw and encouraged increases in gift giving during his tenure with an emphasis on endowments for the Winkler Center. In addition, through his community contacts, he brought greater visibility to the Center and worked hard to truly diversify the advisory board.  He oversaw the Winkler Center’s move from Wherry Hall to the Medical Sciences Building.  And finally, he reinvigorated what has become a cornerstone of the Winkler Center and that is its over forty-year-old oral history program. “I’m saddened and shocked…Jack work[ed] hand in glove with me and others but never interfered in operational matters…he was a great guy and will be missed” remembered associate dean emeritus and former executive director of the Winkler Center, Steve Marine.

Dr. McDonough’s passion for medical history and the Winkler Center is now remembered with the likes of Saul Benison and Cecil Striker. It is the Winkler Center’s desire to everyday live up to the legacy he helped to establish.

The below statement was sent out by the Dean of the College of Medicine, Andrew Filak Jr., MD. on November 11th.

McDonough with Henry Winkler at the Center’s naming ceremony in 2009

 

Dr. McDonough was known for his integrity, professionalism, excellent technical skills and his patience and enthusiasm in teaching surgical residents. He received his medical degree from the College of Medicine in 1968. Besides his two years of military service in the U.S. Navy as a Lieutenant Commander and a yearlong fellowship, he spent his entire surgical career at UC. He joined the faculty as an assistant professor in 1975, became an associate professor in 1982 and then an associate professor emeritus in 2012.

A native of Cincinnati, Dr. McDonough completed his internship and surgical training at UC from 1968 until 1975. He then served in the U.S. Navy for two years, including a year aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Constellation and teaching surgery at the Naval Medical Center San Diego. Dr. McDonough would spend another 14 years in military reserves. He joined the College of Medicine faculty after completing a fellowship in hand surgery at the University of Louisville in 1978.

Considered one of the region’s premier hand surgeons, Dr. McDonough was dedicated throughout his career to medical education. He served as General Surgery Residency Program Director from 1979 until 1986 and as a post-graduate education adviser from 1978 until his retirement in 2011. He was president of the Mont Reid Surgical Society from 1991 until 1994 and had been a member of that society for more than 35 years.

Dr. McDonough also served as a member of the University of Cincinnati Foundation Board for more than 15 years. He received the Foundation’s Trustee Award in 1995. He also served as president of the College of Medicine Alumni Association from 1994 until 1996. He endowed a Visiting Professorship in the Department of Surgery in honor of his parents.

 

McDonough speaking at the opening of the Center for the History of Health Professions and the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library’s new space in the CARE/Crawley Building, November 2008

In 2012 the UC Board of Trustees approved naming the John J. McDonough, MD, Foyer in the Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions. Dr. McDonough was dedicated to promoting the medical history of the college, UC Medical Center, university and Cincinnati community through his involvement with the Winkler Center. He joined the center’s Advisory Board in 1990 and served as chair from 2006 until 2013. It was through his efforts that the center, which was previously known as the UC Medical Heritage Center, was in 2009 named in honor of Henry Winkler, PhD. Dr. Winkler was chair of the center’s Advisory Board for 20 years and was president of the University of Cincinnati from 1977 until 1984.

Making use of his strong dexterity as a hand surgeon, Dr. McDonough was an avid miniature ship builder with a dedicated workshop in his home in Maine. When living in Cincinnati he also was very active with The Literary Club of Cincinnati. Dr. McDonough is survived by his wife, Barbara Aras. Following his wishes, there will be no service. Donations in his memory can be made to one of Dr. McDonough’s favorite projects, a K-8 school in an under-served community: St. George MSU Building Fund, 65 Main Street, Tenants Harbor, Maine 04860.

 

Albert Sabin Notebook Digitization Project Closing Events

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Karen Torghele and Larry Anderson field questions from the audience after their presentation

Thursday evening, October 10, 2019, the Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions hosted the first in a series of lectures that will bring to a close a multi-year project to digitize portions of Albert B. Sabin’s laboratory notebooks. The project was funded by The John Hauck Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, John W. Hauck, Narley L. Haley, Co-Trustees. Over the course of two years the Winkler Center saw to the digitization of over 40 notebooks consisting of approximately 6000 pages. These notebooks were all uploaded to the University of Cincinnati’s online repository, Scholar@UC and are all keyword searchable PDFs. We know this will be an incredible boon to Sabin and polio history researchers, and virologists worldwide.

The gift to the Winkler Center also allowed the repository to revamp its Hauck Center for the Albert B. Sabin Archives online exhibit and website. The new site will roll out the week of October 14-18 and is now more accessible to a wider and diverse array of users than ever before.

Presenters at the October 10th event, Karen Torghele and Larry Anderson MD, combined stories of Sabin’s early academic career with examples of his meticulous research skills and how the former fed the latter. Dr. Anderson showed two sections of Sabin’s notebooks where Sabin identified for the first time the virus strains that would go into his oral polio vaccine a few years later. What a moment!

A reception followed the presentation along with the opening of Sabin and Chumakov Surmounting the Impossible: Cold War Collaboration in the Defeat of Polio, an exhibit detailing the life-long friendship and professional comradery of Albert B. Sabin and Mikail Petrovich Chumakov.  It was Sabin’s work with Soviet scientist Chumakov that led to the oral polio vaccine’s first use and success in the Soviet Union. It was only from that success that the vaccine was approved and distributed in the United States.

Over the next several weeks the Winkler Center will host three more Sabin related lectures. These will all be held in the Stanley J. Lucas MD Boardroom between 12 and 1PM. A light lunch will be provided. See below for speakers, dates, and presentation titles.

Dr. David Bernstein

Thursday, October 17, 2019

12-1PM, Stanley J. Lucas Boardroom

Dr. David Bernstein: Developing a Vaccine from Sabin to Rotarix

Dr. David Bernstein has been at CCHMC for over 35 years and rose through the ranks of assistant, associate and full professor to become the infectious disease division director in 2000. His tenure as division director saw a rapid rise in research, training and clinical care. Dr. Bernstein’s interest is primarily in the field of vaccinology and virology. Over the past 30 years he has contributed to the development of several vaccines; most notable rotavirus, norovirus, herpes viruses and influenza and he has published over 300 manuscripts in this field. The rotavirus vaccine now marketed as Rotarix around the world was first developed by Dr. Bernstein and his colleague Dr. Richard Ward. He has also been actively involved in the clinical evaluation of vaccines for several STIs including HSV, CMV, and HPV, agents of bioterrorism including small pox and anthrax, and many childhood vaccines. He has been the PI of one of the NIH funded Vaccine Treatment Evaluation Units (VTEUs) for over 15 years and has led several large studies in adolescents. His international recognition as a vaccinologist has contributed to the outstanding reputation of the Infectious Diseases Division of CCHMC.

Dr. Paul Spearman

Thursday, October 31, 2019

12-1PM, Stanley J. Lucas Boardroom

Dr. Paul Spearman: Ebola Virus Outbreaks and Current Vaccine Approaches

Paul Spearman, MD is the Albert B. Sabin Professor and Director of Infectious Diseases at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. His laboratory studies fundamental aspects of HIV biology and develops new vaccines for human pathogens. HIV assembly processes are a major focus of the laboratory, including the trafficking of the HIV envelope glycoprotein and its interaction with essential host factors. A related project studies how HIV interacts with macrophages and microglia. Dr. Spearman and his colleagues in the CCHMC Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit (VTEU) are engaged in the design and performance of clinical trials for new vaccines in adults and children, with a special interest in employing cutting-edge technologies to define innate and adaptive immune responses to vaccines. Dr. Spearman is currently leading trials for Ebola and avian influenza vaccine development.

Dr. Spearman serves on the Board of Scientific Counselors for NCI, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee for the FDA, and is President of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS). Beyond his research interests, Dr. Spearman is a Pediatric ID clinician and enjoys caring for children and mentoring future leaders in Infectious Diseases.

Dr. Robert Frenck

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

12-1PM Stanley J. Lucas Boardroom

Dr. Robert W. Frenck, Jr.: Vaccines and the Ongoing Legacy of Dr. Sabin: An Ounce of Prevention is Better Than a Pound of Cure!

Robert W Frenck, Jr, M.D. is a Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Executive Chair of the IRB at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Dr Frenck received his BA from the University of Calif at San Diego and his M.D. from the Univ of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHSC). He completed a pediatric residency at the National Naval Medical Center and a fellowship in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UTHSC. Dr Frenck has been a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Infectious Diseases (Red Book Committee) as well as on the Executive Committee of the AAP Section on Infectious Diseases (SOID) and Chair of the SOID Education Committee. He has published over 100 articles in the peer reviewed literature with a focus on infectious diseases and vaccines.

 

We are again indebted to The Hauck Foundation for this generous gift that has funded not only a digitization project and website face-lift, but also this incredible lecture series. Please plan to attend one of the remaining events they are sure to be intellectually stimulating and thoughtful discussions.

 

 

A Brief Introduction of Dr. William A. Altemeier

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I’ve already introduced myself, but it’s occurred to me that I haven’t introduced Dr. Altemeier, who is, after all, the reason I’m here.  I apologize for the delay; his full and eventful life has been a lot to sort through.  While processing Dr. Altermeier’s collection,I’ve become very familiar with his work, activities, and influence. I’m amazed at how much someone can accomplish in one lifetime!

William Arthur Altemeier was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on July 6, 1910 to William Arthur Altemeier, Sr. and Carrie Moore Altemeier. He graduated cum laude from Walnut Hills High School in 1927, and went on to the University of Cincinnati, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in 1930.  He continued at the University of Cincinnati, earning his Doctorate of Medicine in 1933.  While working on his residency at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI, he earned a Master of Surgery degree from the University of Michigan in 1938.

He immediately began his teaching career while still in Detroit, as Associate Surgeon at the Henry Ford Hospital from 1939-1940, and then returned to the University of Cincinnati as Instructor in Surgery in 1940. Twelve years later in 1952, he was named the Christian R. Holmes Professor of Surgery and Chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Cincinnati, a position he held for over 25 years, until 1978.

In addition to his educational appointments, he was the Director of Surgical Services at Cincinnati General Hospital (1952 – 1978) and Christ Hospital (1976 – 1978); Surgeon-in-Chief at Children’s and Holmes Hospitals (1952 – 1978); Consulting Surgeon at Dunham, Drake, and the V.A. Hospitals; and Assistant Chief of Staff at Holmes Hospital.

Beyond teaching and hospital administration, he was also a prominent researcher on topics such as wounds, burns, Gas Gangrene, Shock, Trauma, and Staphylococcal Infections. He performed research for the University of Cincinnati as well as the United States Surgeon General, and served on the National Research Council in the Division of Medical Sciences and United States Public Health Service. He was also very active in the medical professions community, serving as president of the American Surgical Association, president and one of the founders of the Surgical Infection Society, vice chairman of the American Board of Surgery, editorial board for American Surgeon, Annals of Surgery, and Journal of Surgical Research, and surgical consultant to the Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service and to the United States Army in Japan and Korea.

As I continue working on this collection, I’m looking forward to sharing with you some of the items in the collection that demonstrate some of these contributions and achievements, and expanding in more detail their significance.  Contact me at templea@mail.uc.edu with any questions and insights.

-Alex Temple (Winkler Center Temporary Archivist)

William A. Altemeier Collection Archivist, Alex Temple

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Young Dr. William A. Altemeier

Hi, I’m Alex Temple, the archivist processing the William Altemeier Archival Collection thanks to a generous gift from the Altemeier family. I’m a Cincinnati native and UC graduate. After completing my BA in History here at UC, I went on to Kent State’s School of Information, where I earned a Masters in Library and Information Science with a specialization in Archives & Special Collections.

Preserving history and making it accessible has been a passion of mine, and I have been fortunate enough to work in a variety of settings and types of work. I started at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County in 2006, where I performed reference assistance and have contributed to numerous projects involving rare and fragile material. I have been a volunteer at the Preservation Lab at Langsam Library for four years, where I help to mend damaged books and other material.  For a look at the exciting work that happens there, you can visit their blog at http://thepreservationlab.org/. I have also participated in a massive digitization project on the Turks & Caicos Islands, where we digitized government and church records, such as marriage and baptisms.  I am also processing a collection for another UC notable, Benjamin Gettler, at the Archives & Rare Books Library here on campus.

While I’m just starting to scratch the surface of the William Altemeier Collection, I find myself really excited to learn about his life and work.  He contributed a great deal to the medical field in his time with hundreds of published articles, and the research, drafts, and manuscripts in the collection will be fascinating to look at. I really look forward not only to learning about his life, but also arranging and describing his collection, working to digitize select materials, and creating an online exhibit. I’ll be sharing notable pieces with you along way, so check back for updates! I’d love to hear your questions or stories, please email me at templea@mail.uc.edu.

Native Voices: Keynote Presentation and Exhibit Opening

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Suzanne Singer gives the keynote address to kick off the Native Voices exhibit.

On Thursday, July 26, Dr. Suzanne Singer launched the Native Voices exhibit opening giving her keynote presentation after introductions by Xuemao Wang, Dean, University of Cincinnati Libraries; Philip Diller, MD/PhD, Chair and Fred Lazarus Jr Endowed Professor of Family and Community Medicine; and Bleuzette Marshall, PhD, Vice President for Equity and Inclusion at UC. Dr. Singer is an Energy Systems and Thermal Analyst in the Computational Engineering Division at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, CA.  Her talk focused on the intersections between land, energy, and health in the Navajo community.

After the presentation attendees were encouraged to visit the exhibit and enjoy some of the catered hors d’oeuvres. In addition to the Native Voices exhibit, which is made up primarily of oral histories, a supplementary poster presentation also will run concurrently with the exhibit and be on display alongside the Native Voices listening stations. The posters are a capstone project from a UC Medical Botany class taught by Theresa M. Culley, Ph.D. and Eric Tepe, Ph.D during spring semester, 2018. The posters examine how Native Americans used indigenous plants to maintain health and hygiene.

Panels in the Native Voices: Native Peoples’ Concepts of Health and Illness exhibit.

Do try to attend one of the Native Voices lectures over the next several weeks. On Wednesday, August 8th, Madeleine Fix will present “Cincinnati’s Public Landing, the Measles, and Wyandot Removal.”  If you are unable to attend, stay turned for more recaps.

A schedule of the remaining lectures is available online. And thank you so much for your continued support of this exhibit and its additional programming.

In the carousel below, please enjoy some of the images taken at the keynote and exhibit opening.

Native Voices Children’s Programming Event a Success

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Last week several UC Libraries (HSL, CECH, Langsam) collaborated to produce the first installment in our Native Voices: Native Peoples’ Concepts of Health and Illness public programming. This inaugural event focused specifically on children as Langsam Library received a visit from twenty-four students of the Arlitt Child & Family Research & Education Center. Cheryl Ghosh, Senior Librarian at UC’s CECH Library put together an amazing program of dramatic skits, activity stations, and multi-media fun.

First, the 3 to 5-year-olds were treated to an introduction and brief play about the Iroquois legend of the Three Sisters and its corresponding gardening tradition. This tradition of planting corn, beans and squash (the sisters) in close proximity is widespread among Native American farming. At the same time the story functions as a metaphor for supporting and helping one another.

After the skit, the children were divided into groups and each group moved on to an activity station. One group and its chaperones built a teepee. The other, shucked corn and picked beans from bean plants. After ten minutes the groups switched and tried the other activity.

After fifteen minutes of activities, the students had a brief snack then proceeded to the Student Technology Resource Center (STAC) where video was taken of them in front of a green screen. At that point the video was superimposed onto an image of the Great Plains and an American Indian village complete with moving buffalo.

Finally, as a parting gift, each child received the book D is for Drum: A Native American Alphabet by Debbie and Michael Shoulders and Irving Toddy. The event lasted approximately an hour and at no time did our worries of waning attention spans among the children materialize. They never once lost interest. A success, if we  do say so!  And a huge thanks to all who assisted.

Please plan to attend the Native Voices: Native American Concepts of Health and Illness opening event on Thursday, July 26th in the CARE/Crawley Atrium of the UC  Medical Sciences Building.  And stay tuned for the six weeks of supplementary programming the HSL has planned.

Please see the gallery below for more images of the event.

 

Artifact from the Future: Summer 2018 UC Scholars Program

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The Winkler Center would like to thank Nandita Baxi Sheth (DAAP) and the University of Cincinnati Scholars Program for seeking the Center’s participation in the Summer 2018 Scholars Program titled Artifact from the Future: A Trans Disciplinary Critical Inquiry Experience.

The UC Scholars Program brought Hughes STEM High School 10th and 11th grade students to the University of Cincinnati for a two-week residential, immersive summer critical thinking experience that:

  • built skills through problem based and experiential learning activities
  • provided exposure to multiple UC Colleges and Programs, degrees, and careers
  • provided on campus residential living experience
  • introduced community and industry partners
  • developed mindfulness and self-care practices
  • developed collaborative, leadership, and study skills

The program planned all these learning activities and experiences through a lens of thematic inquiry.

The theme of inquiry for the summer ‘18 Scholars was a deep consideration of the future. Using a wide-range of multimedia and disciplinary approaches including the anthropocene, speculative fiction, science fiction, afrofuturism, and technology, students delved into prospective world scenarios and dystopian futures, and were charged with developing artifacts from that future.

One stop for the scholars was the Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions.  There, curator, Gino Pasi, gave a workshop for the students which included an introduction to archives, curatorship and public history, and a brief overview of what it is the Winkler Center actually does. Students then were introduced to health science-related artifacts from the past.

Student examines a kymograph (an early blood pressure montoring device) at the Winkler Center

Students are introduced to artifacts at the Winkler Center

After that, four teams of scholars were created and each team received an artifact to examine, describe, and then use in a story, play, poem, or some other written work to be presented at the end of the workshop.  The Winkler Center objects given to the students included the “iron lung,” an electro-convulsive therapy unit, a baby incubator from the 1950s, and a “quackery” cure-all from the 1930s called the Electraply. Amazingly each team described and guessed the proper uses of each artifact without any hints or clues.

 

A team examines the Iron Lung.

Students work to describe there artifacts.

Another team examines the “Electraply” device

We hope the students enjoyed not only their Winkler Center experience, but also the rest of their time here at UC. We hope to see them here in the future. For more on this year’s scholars program see:  https://www.rtefakt.org/

Ira Abrahamson Jr., M.D.

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Well, we lost another one. It is with sadness that we report the passing of our friend Dr. Ira Abrahamson, Jr. last Saturday, March 10.

At Ira’s home, June 2017

Personally, it is Dr. Abrahamson’s humor and amiability that I will remember most–so just a quick story before the more formal obituary, which I hope Ira would appreciate.

I had only been at the Winkler Center about two weeks when Dr. Abrahamson showed up with several family members to see his collection and the small exhibit we have on his life and career. I was nervous meeting my first Winkler Center donor, but he immediately set me at ease. He reminded me that the hand of his I had just shaken was a hand also shaken by two popes from whom he had received papal blessings (he had the photographs to prove it). He then tried to convince me that the blessings bestowed on him by those pontiffs now had been conferred on me. I said “if that’s the case, then give me your other hand so I can shake it…why leave anything to chance?” He laughed. I felt better. We would share jokes from that point forward whenever he would visit the Winkler bringing in more materials or just friends with whom to share his many accomplishments. We’ll miss him.

The following obituary was sent to all faculty/staff of the College of Medicine on Wednesday, March 14. It is reprinted here with permission from the UC College of Medicine Dean’s Office.

Dr. Abrahamson attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on a swimming scholarship. He received his medical degree from the UC College of Medicine in 1948, as did his sister, Margaret, in 1946 and his son, Richard, in 1987. He completed his internship at Cincinnati General Hospital and his residency at the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary. He served for a year in the U.S. Coast Guard and then in the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1953 during the Korean War. Following military service, he returned to his native Cincinnati to practice with his father, Ira Abrahamson Sr., MD, who also was an ophthalmologist and on faculty at the College of Medicine.

A member of our faculty since 1964, Dr. Abrahamson rose to full professor before being named an emeritus professor in 2004.
Dr. Abrahamson became one of the first ophthalmic photographers in the world and invented several techniques to photograph the eye. Many of his images were used in his books on ophthalmology and eye care. He also traveled around the world lecturing, teaching and providing vision care to disadvantaged children.
Dr. Abrahamson received numerous honors in his lifetime, including the College of Medicine Distinguished Alumni Award in 2008 and the President’s Award of Excellence in 2014 from the University of Cincinnati. In 2001 he received the Distinguished Service Award from the University of North Carolina, and in 2000 he was named an Outstanding Philanthropist by Boston Children’s Hospital. He was inducted into the Medical Mission Hall of Fame in 2007 for his contributions to advancing the quality of life of others around the world. He even had audiences with three popes: Pius XII, Paul VI and John Paul II.

Dr. Abrahamson had a tremendous impact on vision care, education and research for more than 60 years. He worked tirelessly to eliminate preventable blindness in children, not only here in Cincinnati but around the world. In 1995, he created the Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute at Cincinnati Children’s. Working with the Cincinnati Rotary Club, the institute started the Vision Screening Program through Rotary International where 800 local chapters eventually joined in the program to detect vision problems in young children.

“Declaring that the street currently knowns as Shillito Place shall hereby receive the honorary secondary name of “Dr. Ira Abrahamson Way by legislative action of the May and City Council in honor…” Dr. Abrahamson getting his street, October, 2016

Dr. Abrahamson receives the University of Cincinnati President’s Award for Excellence from previous UC President, Santa Ono, 2014