Eighty Prominent Dermatologists

These images are from a book The American Dermatological Society published in 1957 to commemorate its seventy-fifth anniversary. Its title is A History of The American Dermatological Association In Commemoration of Its Seventy-Fifth Anniversary 1876-1951. The dedication reads: "To the American Dermatological Association, which in the seventy five years of its existence has contributed so much to the progress and teaching of dermatology in America. To the sixteen founders of the Association whose foresight, courage and devotion launched it on its successful career, to the future members who, I feel sure, will carry the Association to even greater heights of glory."

The forward reads: "Seventy five years ago a small group of dermatologists met and founded the A American Dermatological Association. They were aware that in a newly established specialty of medicine an association based on a common interest and composed of congenial personalities should be conducive to soldidarity and progress. Throughout these seventy-five years the membership has been selected with these percepts in mind and the American Dermatological Association has never been merely a medical society. It has reached its present position because these members were close friends professionally and on that basis theories and ideas could be freely exchanged, the science of dermatology thereby steadily advanced. The past and present membership contain the names of those dermatologists who by their scientific curiosity and by their intellectual attainments by their integrity and their loyal affection for each other have shaped the architecture of American dermatology. With pride in the past and confidence in the future the Association cannot do otherwise than continue to be a guiding light for the specialty which it represents. The Association is indeed fortunate to have as its historian Dr. Paul E Bechet whose interests in the history of dermatology and unselfish devotion to the tremendous task of compiling the data, have made this memorial volume possible.

And finally I'll read the final passage of the volume. "May this volume, no on its way to the some of the members of the American Dermatological Association receive an affectionate welcome. It was born through the combined mind, heart and hands of the historian in appreciation of the pleasure a membership of twenty-two years has given me. Much of the Association's charm is due I believe to the happy combination of scientific work and the warmth of old friendships. In 1895 there were fifty-six members. In 1951 there are 157 members. Will we continue to advance at this rate? And if so, will we gain by the mere weight of numbers or lose the close association we have hitherto enjoyed. Only time will tell. But the new York and the Manhattan Dermatological Societies can furnish a possible clue by remaining small yet increasing their scientific growth. No one has ever refused an invitation to join despite a living membership of about eleven in one and eighteen in the other.

The small amount of space available for each biographical sketch limited me to list only the teaching positions and hospital appointments, offices and memberships in dermatological societies, authorships of books and articles and the man's most outstanding contribution to dermatology. If it were connected to some fifteen or twenty hospitals it was manifestly impossible to name them all. Only the number of his appointments could be stated. Dates proved to be an occasional headache as those stated in the present biographical sketch differed from those stated in previous sketches. Also the cart was sometimes placed before the horse. An associate professorship might be mentioned first and the instructorship later.

I trust I will not be censored for omitted the military careers of the members. To have done so omitting many of their dermatological attainments and to have mentioned some and not others would not have been fair. Suffice it to say, the overwhelming majority of the members of the Association served their country well and faithfully in the war between the States and in both world wars."

So it is I think a pretty interesting book and a little bit rare. It would have been nice to present you with the entire membership but I thought it would take too long. So instead you're seeing about one quarter of the photos, a pretty good cross-section. I chose not necessarily the most attractive doctors but the ones I would most like to have sex with. So it's pretty subjective I uses but my taste is broad. I don't just like one type.

Title: Eighty Prominent Dermatologists