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In memoriam: William M. Mckinney, M.D.
Ultrasound in Med. & Biol., Vol. 30, No. 6, pp. 709 –710, 2004 Copyright © 2004 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology Printed in the USA. All rights reserved 0301-5629/04/$–see front matter
● Editorial IN MEMORIAM: WILLIAM M. MCKINNEY, M.D. William M. McKinney, M.D., Professor Emeritus of Neurology, one of the pioneers in the use of medical ultrasound (US) in the USA, and a neurologist at Wake Forest University for nearly 40 years, died October 24, 2003 at his home, after a long and inspiring battle with lung cancer. He was 73 years old. He was born in Roanoke, VA, graduated from the University of North Carolina and the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and served in the US Navy during the Korean War. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, 3 children, and 5 grandchildren. McKinney first recognized the possibilities of US in the early 1960s, even before he became a faculty member. M. Robert Cooper, M.D., Professor Emeritus of Medicine at Wake Forest, recalls McKinney pushing a cart containing a suitcase-sized US machine called an echoencephalograph at the University of Virginia hospitals, where both were residents. As with many pioneers, at the time, McKinney was considered somewhat eccentric because of his unusual interest in the machine. McKinney published more than 15 papers in the early days of US. By 1971, national publications such as Medical World News were calling McKinney “. . . one of ultrasound’s most enthusiastic supporters.” His primary interest was in the use of US for carotid artery diagnosis, an accomplishment described in a 1974 issue of Science. “Bill became the guru for the entire field—with much credit accruing to the department, the school, and the University— but not enough to himself,” said Richard Janeway, M.D., Executive Vice President for Health Affairs Emeritus at Wake Forest and a neurologist himself. McKinney built the program at Wake Forest; in the process, creating the Center for Medical Ultrasound, which has trained thousands of neurosonologists and other US medical professionals from across the United States. He conveyed his excitement about US to others in the field. States Lewis Nelson, M.D., Associate Dean and Acting Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Wake Forest, “It was because of McKinney’s enthusiasm and interest that the Wake Forest Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology very early became involved in sonography.” A colleague, Charles Tegeler,
M.D., stated, “Knowing Bill, he is probably organizing an ultrasound course for the Heavenly Neurosonology Lab. He preached the gospel of ultrasound. In the early years, they were actually defining the field.” Another colleague and world-renowned neurologist, James Toole, M.D. stated, “He was always cheerful and the kind of man I aspire to be. He was a tremendous man for his family, his university, his medical profession, and all who ever knew him.” Marveen Craig, R.D.M.S., sonography author and lecturer, stated, “He was among the first physicians to support the concept of sonographers and to work actively to see that they were recognized as a separate health care field. He was our champion, opening many doors for us.” McKinney coauthored Vascular Ultrasound of the Neck: An Interpretive Atlas. He served as president of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine and hosted the annual convention in Winston-Salem in 1975, at which the first American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers examinations were administered. He was also president of the American Society of Neuroimaging and founder and chair of the Section on Neurosonology Research Group of the World Federation of Neurology. He was awarded the Caldwell Gold Medal of the American Roentgen Ray Society. When he gave the group’s Caldwell lecture, A. Everette James, Jr., M.D., noted, “McKinney’s posture as an outspoken enthusiast for the modality significantly contributed to its acceptance, especially in the neuroscience applications.” He went on to say, “His moral tone, complete respect for principles, and courage of convictions, laced with a warm, compassionate personality, make Bill a thoroughly human person.” In September 2003, McKinney received the Wake Forest University School of Medicine’s Alumni Association Distinguished Award. McKinney was known as a compassionate physician with a wonderful bedside manner. He was an unusual person, an example of personable interactions with patients. “He had an unusual compassion for people, whether they were patients at the bedside or the residents or students,” said 709
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Cooper, who also stated, “He was thought of as the “court of last resort,” taking on patients whose diagnosis remained a mystery to other clinicians. Bill would have an interest in trying to solve their problem.” Craig stated, “We have lost not only a true pioneer, but a down-to-earth, funny, and very humble
Volume 30, Number 6, 2004
guy.” “His enthusiasm and intellect, as well as his deep religious convictions, will be etched in our hearts forever,” said Janeway. FREDERICK W. KREMKAU, PH.D. ROBERT CONN, M.S.J. Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
● Editorial IN MEMORIAM: WILLIAM M. MCKINNEY, M.D. William M. McKinney, M.D., Professor Emeritus of Neurology, one of the pioneers in the use of medical ultrasound (US) in the USA, and a neurologist at Wake Forest University for nearly 40 years, died October 24, 2003 at his home, after a long and inspiring battle with lung cancer. He was 73 years old. He was born in Roanoke, VA, graduated from the University of North Carolina and the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and served in the US Navy during the Korean War. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, 3 children, and 5 grandchildren. McKinney first recognized the possibilities of US in the early 1960s, even before he became a faculty member. M. Robert Cooper, M.D., Professor Emeritus of Medicine at Wake Forest, recalls McKinney pushing a cart containing a suitcase-sized US machine called an echoencephalograph at the University of Virginia hospitals, where both were residents. As with many pioneers, at the time, McKinney was considered somewhat eccentric because of his unusual interest in the machine. McKinney published more than 15 papers in the early days of US. By 1971, national publications such as Medical World News were calling McKinney “. . . one of ultrasound’s most enthusiastic supporters.” His primary interest was in the use of US for carotid artery diagnosis, an accomplishment described in a 1974 issue of Science. “Bill became the guru for the entire field—with much credit accruing to the department, the school, and the University— but not enough to himself,” said Richard Janeway, M.D., Executive Vice President for Health Affairs Emeritus at Wake Forest and a neurologist himself. McKinney built the program at Wake Forest; in the process, creating the Center for Medical Ultrasound, which has trained thousands of neurosonologists and other US medical professionals from across the United States. He conveyed his excitement about US to others in the field. States Lewis Nelson, M.D., Associate Dean and Acting Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Wake Forest, “It was because of McKinney’s enthusiasm and interest that the Wake Forest Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology very early became involved in sonography.” A colleague, Charles Tegeler,
M.D., stated, “Knowing Bill, he is probably organizing an ultrasound course for the Heavenly Neurosonology Lab. He preached the gospel of ultrasound. In the early years, they were actually defining the field.” Another colleague and world-renowned neurologist, James Toole, M.D. stated, “He was always cheerful and the kind of man I aspire to be. He was a tremendous man for his family, his university, his medical profession, and all who ever knew him.” Marveen Craig, R.D.M.S., sonography author and lecturer, stated, “He was among the first physicians to support the concept of sonographers and to work actively to see that they were recognized as a separate health care field. He was our champion, opening many doors for us.” McKinney coauthored Vascular Ultrasound of the Neck: An Interpretive Atlas. He served as president of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine and hosted the annual convention in Winston-Salem in 1975, at which the first American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers examinations were administered. He was also president of the American Society of Neuroimaging and founder and chair of the Section on Neurosonology Research Group of the World Federation of Neurology. He was awarded the Caldwell Gold Medal of the American Roentgen Ray Society. When he gave the group’s Caldwell lecture, A. Everette James, Jr., M.D., noted, “McKinney’s posture as an outspoken enthusiast for the modality significantly contributed to its acceptance, especially in the neuroscience applications.” He went on to say, “His moral tone, complete respect for principles, and courage of convictions, laced with a warm, compassionate personality, make Bill a thoroughly human person.” In September 2003, McKinney received the Wake Forest University School of Medicine’s Alumni Association Distinguished Award. McKinney was known as a compassionate physician with a wonderful bedside manner. He was an unusual person, an example of personable interactions with patients. “He had an unusual compassion for people, whether they were patients at the bedside or the residents or students,” said 709
710
Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology
Cooper, who also stated, “He was thought of as the “court of last resort,” taking on patients whose diagnosis remained a mystery to other clinicians. Bill would have an interest in trying to solve their problem.” Craig stated, “We have lost not only a true pioneer, but a down-to-earth, funny, and very humble
Volume 30, Number 6, 2004
guy.” “His enthusiasm and intellect, as well as his deep religious convictions, will be etched in our hearts forever,” said Janeway. FREDERICK W. KREMKAU, PH.D. ROBERT CONN, M.S.J. Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA