Michael John
Hogan,
On Nov 6,1976, Michael John Hogan, MD, died at his home in Mill Valley, Calif. He possessed a combination of qualities and capabilities found only in those who achieve true eminence. This energetic man, with a deep and commanding yet soft voice, directed his intelligence and spirit of honest inquiry into a vast array of activities and invariably produced superb results. The list of Mike's professional
activities, lectures, awards, publications, and research activities is awesome. Yet this list reflects only a part
of the activities of this splendid physician and matchless teacher. Mike was able to recognize latent capacities in others, and he often went to great lengths to further the education and careers of those willing to follow his advice. His aptitude for encouraging growth in physicians in training paralleled his skill as a gardener. Mike had a profound love for the outdoors, and he rarely missed an opportunity to take a morning swim or a short hike on nearby Mount Tamalpais. He and his wife Vera enjoyed travel, especially during his sabbatical year in Italy. They were constant companions, sharing many interests and activities. Ophthalmology has had few scientists to match Mike's brilliance and accomplishments. One has only to review his writings on the subject of ocular toxoplasmosis to appreciate the penetrating nature of his investigations and the breadth of his abilities. As part of the work that he did in the preparation of his thesis for the American Ophthalmologica! Society, he grew, in tissue culture media, To.ro¡i/asina organisms, which he obtained from the retina of an eye that he had enucleated. By utilizing time-lapse photography, he was t hen able to characterize the process of division of the organisms and the manner in which they formed cysts. Following this, he
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MD and electron microstudies of the organisms and scopical correlated bis findings with the clinical manifestations of the disease. This vivid demonstration .of the broad range of his talents exemplifies the unparalleled extent of his capabilities. It is difficult to find a phase of ophthalmology that does not contain significant contributions made by Mike. His most recent text, Histology of the Human Eye, written with Alvarado and Weddell, represents a landmark in our understanding of the structure of the human eye. At the time of his death, he was working on the third edition of Ophthalmic Pathology, a text that has been a standard in the field of ophthalmic pathology. Those of us who were close to Mike suffered with him through his long and courageous battle with his terminal illness. We could only marvel at bis bravery as he continued to carry on bis many responsibilities. He expressed concern only because be did not wish to be a burden on bis friends and family. He was comforted by the knowledge that in his lifetime he had made a great number of lasting contributions and that these were recognized by his fellow ophthalmologists. His wonderful wife, Vera, his three children, Judy, Tim, and Shelley, and his grandchildren, have much to be proud of. The death of this towering scientist is a tragedy for ophthalmology and a grievous shock to his legions of friends and admirers. Mike was a compulsive editor, and 1 am sure that if he were to read these few paragraphs be would reduce (he excess verbage and suggest moving on to other things. I can imagine him saving, as he did so often at the end of a pleasant evening with his family and friends, "That's it boys and girls
performed light
Andiamo."
William
Spencer,
San Francisco
MD
Hogan,
On Nov 6,1976, Michael John Hogan, MD, died at his home in Mill Valley, Calif. He possessed a combination of qualities and capabilities found only in those who achieve true eminence. This energetic man, with a deep and commanding yet soft voice, directed his intelligence and spirit of honest inquiry into a vast array of activities and invariably produced superb results. The list of Mike's professional
activities, lectures, awards, publications, and research activities is awesome. Yet this list reflects only a part
of the activities of this splendid physician and matchless teacher. Mike was able to recognize latent capacities in others, and he often went to great lengths to further the education and careers of those willing to follow his advice. His aptitude for encouraging growth in physicians in training paralleled his skill as a gardener. Mike had a profound love for the outdoors, and he rarely missed an opportunity to take a morning swim or a short hike on nearby Mount Tamalpais. He and his wife Vera enjoyed travel, especially during his sabbatical year in Italy. They were constant companions, sharing many interests and activities. Ophthalmology has had few scientists to match Mike's brilliance and accomplishments. One has only to review his writings on the subject of ocular toxoplasmosis to appreciate the penetrating nature of his investigations and the breadth of his abilities. As part of the work that he did in the preparation of his thesis for the American Ophthalmologica! Society, he grew, in tissue culture media, To.ro¡i/asina organisms, which he obtained from the retina of an eye that he had enucleated. By utilizing time-lapse photography, he was t hen able to characterize the process of division of the organisms and the manner in which they formed cysts. Following this, he
Downloaded From: http://archopht.jamanetwork.com/ by a New York University User on 06/22/2015
MD and electron microstudies of the organisms and scopical correlated bis findings with the clinical manifestations of the disease. This vivid demonstration .of the broad range of his talents exemplifies the unparalleled extent of his capabilities. It is difficult to find a phase of ophthalmology that does not contain significant contributions made by Mike. His most recent text, Histology of the Human Eye, written with Alvarado and Weddell, represents a landmark in our understanding of the structure of the human eye. At the time of his death, he was working on the third edition of Ophthalmic Pathology, a text that has been a standard in the field of ophthalmic pathology. Those of us who were close to Mike suffered with him through his long and courageous battle with his terminal illness. We could only marvel at bis bravery as he continued to carry on bis many responsibilities. He expressed concern only because be did not wish to be a burden on bis friends and family. He was comforted by the knowledge that in his lifetime he had made a great number of lasting contributions and that these were recognized by his fellow ophthalmologists. His wonderful wife, Vera, his three children, Judy, Tim, and Shelley, and his grandchildren, have much to be proud of. The death of this towering scientist is a tragedy for ophthalmology and a grievous shock to his legions of friends and admirers. Mike was a compulsive editor, and 1 am sure that if he were to read these few paragraphs be would reduce (he excess verbage and suggest moving on to other things. I can imagine him saving, as he did so often at the end of a pleasant evening with his family and friends, "That's it boys and girls
performed light
Andiamo."
William
Spencer,
San Francisco
MD
