The pioneers of pediatric medicine Eur J Pediatr (1992) 151 : 637
EuropeanJournal of
Pediatrics
9 Springer-Verlag1992
C. Henry Kempe (1922-1984) C. Henry Kempe was born in 1922 in Breslau, where his childhood was spent. This time passed under the shadow of the emerging and then later established Nazi regime - until the family left Germany in 1937. While his parents took refuge in South America, the son of the family went on to California with the aid of refugee support organizations. Starting in 1942, Kempe was able to attend the University of California School of Medicine; he took American citizenship and graduated from medical school in 1945. There followed an internship in paediatrics at California University Hospital, two years' military service during which he worked as Assistant Virologist at the Research and Graduate School in Washington, D.C., a period as Assistant Resident in the Department of Paediatrics at Yale University, and his return to the University of California School of Medicine. There Kempe became Assistant Professor of Paediatrics and Lecturer in Social Welfare. In 1956 he was called to Denver to become Professor and Chairman of the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. For the next 17 years - that is to say until 1973 he worked as Chairman and led the department through a brilliant period of development, both from the clinical aspect and over a wide scientific spectrum. H e subsequently went on working as Professor in the Departments of Paediatrics and Microbiology. Henry Kempe first gained international recognition with his work on the prevention and treatment of smallpox, which was still widespread at the time. His work in the sector of child abuse and neglect, which he started in 1958, then also met with great acclaim. People had known really that this tragic chapter was there in the ongoing history of mankind, but no-one had yet dared to open it up, and much remained concealed by disbelief and repression; in general, people were unwilling to take a clear look at the facts that were emerging and providing evermore massive evidence and to take the steps indicated by this. Kempe worked tirelessly to this end for a good two decades, to the benefit of the countless children affected and of their families. It was he who coined the expressive name "battered child syndrome" in 1962; together with his staff he described and delineated the characteristic findings, made suggestions as to how carers might approach the families concerned, and elaborated detailed recommendations about how to approach the children themselves and, finally, about early recognition and prevention of such injuries.
He became President of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Editor in Chief of the corresponding international journal. He was the founder and the director of the National Center for the Treatment and Prevention of Child Abuse and Child Neglect (a part of the Health Sciences Center of the University of Colorado) in Denver, and there he conducted comprehensive and purposeful studies and also training courses for men and women concerned with the problem. H e was an excellent teacher and trainer, both in the lecture room and as the author of numerous books and articles. Internationally respected as clinician, researcher and trainer, this man who in the course of his tireless work on behalf of the world's children had already received many honours from different parts of the world, received the Howland Award in 1980; he always retained his unassuming way and his sense of humour.
H.-R. Wiedernann, Kiel
EuropeanJournal of
Pediatrics
9 Springer-Verlag1992
C. Henry Kempe (1922-1984) C. Henry Kempe was born in 1922 in Breslau, where his childhood was spent. This time passed under the shadow of the emerging and then later established Nazi regime - until the family left Germany in 1937. While his parents took refuge in South America, the son of the family went on to California with the aid of refugee support organizations. Starting in 1942, Kempe was able to attend the University of California School of Medicine; he took American citizenship and graduated from medical school in 1945. There followed an internship in paediatrics at California University Hospital, two years' military service during which he worked as Assistant Virologist at the Research and Graduate School in Washington, D.C., a period as Assistant Resident in the Department of Paediatrics at Yale University, and his return to the University of California School of Medicine. There Kempe became Assistant Professor of Paediatrics and Lecturer in Social Welfare. In 1956 he was called to Denver to become Professor and Chairman of the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. For the next 17 years - that is to say until 1973 he worked as Chairman and led the department through a brilliant period of development, both from the clinical aspect and over a wide scientific spectrum. H e subsequently went on working as Professor in the Departments of Paediatrics and Microbiology. Henry Kempe first gained international recognition with his work on the prevention and treatment of smallpox, which was still widespread at the time. His work in the sector of child abuse and neglect, which he started in 1958, then also met with great acclaim. People had known really that this tragic chapter was there in the ongoing history of mankind, but no-one had yet dared to open it up, and much remained concealed by disbelief and repression; in general, people were unwilling to take a clear look at the facts that were emerging and providing evermore massive evidence and to take the steps indicated by this. Kempe worked tirelessly to this end for a good two decades, to the benefit of the countless children affected and of their families. It was he who coined the expressive name "battered child syndrome" in 1962; together with his staff he described and delineated the characteristic findings, made suggestions as to how carers might approach the families concerned, and elaborated detailed recommendations about how to approach the children themselves and, finally, about early recognition and prevention of such injuries.
He became President of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Editor in Chief of the corresponding international journal. He was the founder and the director of the National Center for the Treatment and Prevention of Child Abuse and Child Neglect (a part of the Health Sciences Center of the University of Colorado) in Denver, and there he conducted comprehensive and purposeful studies and also training courses for men and women concerned with the problem. H e was an excellent teacher and trainer, both in the lecture room and as the author of numerous books and articles. Internationally respected as clinician, researcher and trainer, this man who in the course of his tireless work on behalf of the world's children had already received many honours from different parts of the world, received the Howland Award in 1980; he always retained his unassuming way and his sense of humour.
H.-R. Wiedernann, Kiel
