Year: 2016
Type: article
Abstract: INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Dr. Ralph R. Landes was a man of many accomplishments and is best known for his role as historian of the American Urological Association (AUA) (1965)(1966)(1967)(1968)(1969)(1970)(1971)(1972)(1973)(1974)(1975)(1976)(1977)(1978)(1979)(1980).Ironically, very little is known about his own professional and personal life.The following piece highlights the various aspects of his life that made him a "man of all seasons".METHODS: Information was obtained from the William P. Didusch Center for Urologic History and from Dr. Landes' daughter Elizabeth Landes.RESULTS: Dr. Ralph Landes (1911-89) succeeded Dr. Wirt Dakin as historian of the AUA in 1965 and later published "Perspectives in Urology, Volume I', which remains a valuable source of history for the specialty of urology.He was a man of humble circumstances; he managed to finance his medical education at the University of Chicago, at times by donating blood to supplement his income.In 1943 he served as a medical officer in the thick of battle treating the wounded in tents at the Invasion of Salerno, Italy during World War II.After the war he served as a clinical professor of urology at the University Of North Carolina School Of Medicine where there is now fund named in his honor.During his career he authored over 150 academic research articles varying from the treatment of urinary tract infections to vesicovaginal fistula repair, although he always remained modest about his endeavors.In Danville, Virginia he established the Danville Urologic Clinic where he practiced from 1949-85.In addition to his professional accomplishments, he was a loving husband and father who served as an active member of his community.Dr. Landes is remembered by his children for his brilliant memory; his daughter Elizabeth notes that he had entertained them by reciting one of the hundreds of poems he had memorized including "Casey at the Bat", which they fondly remember him reciting.They also admired him for his love of history.He had an extensive collection of antique books related to medicine and science, which he later donated to several libraries including the William P. Didusch Center for Urologic History making up the nucleus of today's museum.CONCLUSIONS: Dr. Landes died in Virginia on October 5, 1989 at the age of 78 from multiple myeloma.He was an exquisite physician, scholar, and historian, a "man of all seasons", who should be remembered for his contributions to the field of urology and the collection of its history.
Source: The Journal of Urology
Language: English
Subfield: History
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2327283792