Introduction to Dr Charles Rob Festschrift Seymour I. Schwartz,
MD
Dr Charles Rob retired as chairman of of Surgery, University of Rochester the School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY. This brings to a close a chairmanship that extended more than 17 years and brings into focus a career that played a dominant role both in the United Kingdom and in the United States. Educated at Cambridge University and St Thomas's Hospital in London, Dr Rob trained at St Thomas's until 1942 when his training was interrupted by the war. His three-year military career was one of recognition as evidenced by his receiving the Military Cross. He containued postgraduate studies at St Thomas's in England and in 1950 was appointed professor of surgery at the University of London at St Mary's Hospital. As a distinguished surgeon in the United Kingdom, he was awarded several honors, including the Hunterian Professor of the Royal College of Surgery in 1946 and an honorary fellowship to the Venezuelan Surgical Society in 1956. His ties with the United States, which had dated to a year of training in Montreal General Hospital for residency, were further enforced when he served as Surgeon-In-Chief Pro Tempore at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston, in 1952, SurgeonIn-Chief Pro Tempore at the Presbyterian Hospital, New York, in 1958, and Visiting Surgeon and Chief at UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, in 1959. As one reviews his contributions while a British surgeon, the important papers on the reconstruction of the trachea and esophagus and abdominal trauma are noted. The early and pioneering investigations in the field of vascular surgery were initiated with reports on the preservation and transplantation of arterial grafts and this interest in preservation extended to other tissues, including corneal grafts. His major contribution has been in the field of reconstruction of the internal carotid artery, the first article appearing on Nov 13, 1954, in Lancet. His subse¬ quent contributions to literature spanned, in panoramic fashion, the entire field of vascular surgery. In 1956, the first edition of Operative Surgery was edited by Charles Rob and Rodney Smith. This has served as the basic atlas
1, 1977, On SeptDepartment
Accepted for publication June 2, 1978. From the Department of Surgery, University Medicine, Rochester, NY. Reprints not available.
of Rochester School of
throughout the English speaking
world. There was also a 15-volume work edited on clinical surgery. In 1960, Dr Rob assumed the position of professor of surgery and chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and, with his distinguished career as a British surgeon, continued with equal distinction as a leading surgeon on the North American continent. His special productivity continued with second and third editions of the Operative Surgery series and as coeditor of a book on tropical surgery and as coeditor on advances of surgery. The vascular surgery literature continued to be enriched with the results of his clinical experiences. The number of honors that he received accelerated. In 1961, Dr Rob served as president of the International Society of Cardiovascular Surgery and was awarded an honorary degree from Trinity College, Dublin. He received an honorary degree of doctor of science from Hartwick College in New York, was elected president of the International Cardiovascular Society, North American Chapter, in 1971, and was made an Honorary Fellow of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland in 1975. Also in 1975, he was awarded the René Leriche prize at the 26th Congress of the Société Internationale de Chirurgie in Edinburgh and served as the Matas Lecturer in 1977 in Tokyo and the Moynihan Lecturer of that year in London. He served on the board of the Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery, Journal of Surgi¬ cal Research, and Advances In Surgery. As might be anticipated, Dr Rob's major influence has best been appreciated by those who have had the privilege of working with him. At all times, he has stood out as a surgical leader whose examples and directions residents, students, and faculty continually strived to follow. His clinical experience was best capsuled at weekly grand rounds and though many have tried, none have been able to top his anecdotal references. As Dr Rob continues in his career as a clinical surgeon, those of us who work with him will have the opportunity of the ongoing benefit and continued relationship of a respected friend. The entire complement of faculty and resident staff who have come under the influence of this great surgeon are pleased to have the opportunity to express the appreciation for his leadership in a token fashion, with this work dedicated to him.
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MD
Dr Charles Rob retired as chairman of of Surgery, University of Rochester the School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY. This brings to a close a chairmanship that extended more than 17 years and brings into focus a career that played a dominant role both in the United Kingdom and in the United States. Educated at Cambridge University and St Thomas's Hospital in London, Dr Rob trained at St Thomas's until 1942 when his training was interrupted by the war. His three-year military career was one of recognition as evidenced by his receiving the Military Cross. He containued postgraduate studies at St Thomas's in England and in 1950 was appointed professor of surgery at the University of London at St Mary's Hospital. As a distinguished surgeon in the United Kingdom, he was awarded several honors, including the Hunterian Professor of the Royal College of Surgery in 1946 and an honorary fellowship to the Venezuelan Surgical Society in 1956. His ties with the United States, which had dated to a year of training in Montreal General Hospital for residency, were further enforced when he served as Surgeon-In-Chief Pro Tempore at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston, in 1952, SurgeonIn-Chief Pro Tempore at the Presbyterian Hospital, New York, in 1958, and Visiting Surgeon and Chief at UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, in 1959. As one reviews his contributions while a British surgeon, the important papers on the reconstruction of the trachea and esophagus and abdominal trauma are noted. The early and pioneering investigations in the field of vascular surgery were initiated with reports on the preservation and transplantation of arterial grafts and this interest in preservation extended to other tissues, including corneal grafts. His major contribution has been in the field of reconstruction of the internal carotid artery, the first article appearing on Nov 13, 1954, in Lancet. His subse¬ quent contributions to literature spanned, in panoramic fashion, the entire field of vascular surgery. In 1956, the first edition of Operative Surgery was edited by Charles Rob and Rodney Smith. This has served as the basic atlas
1, 1977, On SeptDepartment
Accepted for publication June 2, 1978. From the Department of Surgery, University Medicine, Rochester, NY. Reprints not available.
of Rochester School of
throughout the English speaking
world. There was also a 15-volume work edited on clinical surgery. In 1960, Dr Rob assumed the position of professor of surgery and chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and, with his distinguished career as a British surgeon, continued with equal distinction as a leading surgeon on the North American continent. His special productivity continued with second and third editions of the Operative Surgery series and as coeditor of a book on tropical surgery and as coeditor on advances of surgery. The vascular surgery literature continued to be enriched with the results of his clinical experiences. The number of honors that he received accelerated. In 1961, Dr Rob served as president of the International Society of Cardiovascular Surgery and was awarded an honorary degree from Trinity College, Dublin. He received an honorary degree of doctor of science from Hartwick College in New York, was elected president of the International Cardiovascular Society, North American Chapter, in 1971, and was made an Honorary Fellow of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland in 1975. Also in 1975, he was awarded the René Leriche prize at the 26th Congress of the Société Internationale de Chirurgie in Edinburgh and served as the Matas Lecturer in 1977 in Tokyo and the Moynihan Lecturer of that year in London. He served on the board of the Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery, Journal of Surgi¬ cal Research, and Advances In Surgery. As might be anticipated, Dr Rob's major influence has best been appreciated by those who have had the privilege of working with him. At all times, he has stood out as a surgical leader whose examples and directions residents, students, and faculty continually strived to follow. His clinical experience was best capsuled at weekly grand rounds and though many have tried, none have been able to top his anecdotal references. As Dr Rob continues in his career as a clinical surgeon, those of us who work with him will have the opportunity of the ongoing benefit and continued relationship of a respected friend. The entire complement of faculty and resident staff who have come under the influence of this great surgeon are pleased to have the opportunity to express the appreciation for his leadership in a token fashion, with this work dedicated to him.
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