In Memoriam—John Milton Mclean, M.D.

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him to offices of authority in our specialty. One of the leading New York ophthalmologists expressed John's position very clearly. He said, "He is our true leader ; the one person in our city who could bring together all of the good factions and have them operate as a group." In spite of John's apparent sternness in some personal relations, I never heard him indulge in petty criticism of anyone. He was also understanding and sympathetic with the personal problems of many of his friends and colleagues, and for this reason many of them sought his help in making difficult decisions. Courage and independence of this type always need support. Fortunately for John, he found this in great measure in his devoted wife, Mary Lou. A poem by H. N. Fifer entitled, He Lived A Life, could have been written specifically for John. What was his creed ? I do not know his creed ; I only know That here below, he walked the common road And lifted many a load, lightened the task, Brightened the day for others toiling on a weary way : This, his only meed; I do not know his creed. What was his creed? I never heard him speak Of visions rapturous, of Alpine peak Of doctrine, dogma, new or old : But this I know, he was forever bold To stand alone, to face the challenge of each day, And live the truth, so far as he could see— The truth that evermore makes free. His creed? I care not what his creed ; Enough that never yielded he to greed, But served a brother in his daily need ; Plucked many a thorn and planted many a flower ; Glorified the service of each hour ; Had faith in God, himself, and fellow-men ;

J U L Y , 1968

Perchance he never thought in terms of creed ; I only know he lived a life, in deed ! A. Edward Maumenee

IN

MEMORIAM—JOHN M c L E A N , M.D.

MILTON

There will be other eulogies written for Dr. John M. McLean, Professor of Ophthalmology at The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, who passed away on May 2,1968, after a long and painful illness. There will be erudite biographies and appraisals of the many scientific accomplishments of this man who achieved international prominence in his specialty at an early age. I should like to offer a simple tribute to the John McLean who will always be "The Chief" to his former students, and who has had such a profound influence upon their lives and careers. A s the wife of one of these former students, I want to express the deep esteem, admiration and respect, not only for the great clinician and teacher, but for the man himself, which is shared by all those who knew him. John had a brilliant and perspicacious mind which he loved to sharpen on the intellects of others, stimulating them to think deeply by asking " W h y ? " when perhaps they were merely making conversation. An extremely complex individual, he frequently appeared aloof to those who did not know him well. Countless junior residents have been taken aback when "The Chief" failed to acknowledge their presence in the elevators or corridors of The New York Hospital. When one overcame the intial awe, however, he never failed to respond in kind to sincere overtures of friendship. My husband was indeed fortunate to have received his ophthalmology training at Cornell, for John McLean stimulated and encouraged him in his choice of an academic career. Embodying the often-rare combination of superb surgical skill with the knowl-

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edge and judgment which differentiates the technician-surgeon from the true physiciansurgeon, John insisted that his residents make their own decisions concerning their individual surgical techniques. If all went well, the resident's abilities and confidence were greatly enhanced ; if there was an error in judgment or technique, however, John was always there to salvage the situation and to help the resident discover for himself where the mistake occurred. John McLean was one of the most adventurous people I have ever met. His dinner conversation was punctuated by tales of the unusual occurrences that took place on the many trips he and Mary Lou enjoyed. One of my favorite of his stories concerns the time when, in his younger days, he and a friend flew under the George Washington Bridge in New York City in an old airplane which was held together mainly by chewing gum and adhesive tape. He was a most impressive speaker, not only in social conversation, but especially in scientific presentation and discourse. We had the great pleasure of having Mary Lou and John McLean here in Miami a few months ago during the Midwinter Seminar. In this very brief remission of his illness, John attended the meetings and even several social affairs. He visited the scientific exhibits, and was heard to make some characteristically astute and critical observations to an exhibitor concerning the deficiencies of a new cryophake instrument ! To those of us who have known and loved him, the untimely death of John McLean is a great loss. In the world of ophthalmology, there is a void which cannot soon be filled. But he will live on, in our memories, and in the lives and accomplishments of his many students in far-flung places who will continue to impart his knowledge and skills, his quest for perfection, and his never-ending intellectual curiosity. "Life's race well run, Life's work well done, Life's victory won,

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Now cometh rest." (Edward Hazen Parker) Mary K. Norton (Mrs. Edward)

Ophthalmology and medicine has lost one of its great leaders in the cruel death, at an early age, of John McLean. In his relatively short professional life he showed rare excellence as an investigator, original thinker, inspiring teacher and lucid writer. But it was particularly as an eye surgeon that McLean showed his skill, versatility and ingenuity. Confident in his superb ability he truly had "the touch of a butterfly and the courage of a lion." But more than this he had remarkable judgment that was based on knowledge and the taking of great pains. Duke-Elder once confided to me that "John McLean was the best ophthalmic surgeon I have ever seen." Those of us who have seen him work, will agree. Because of these qualities he was able to express his experience in papers, lectures, books and discussions as only a great teacher can do. His writings are now part of our heritage. But I prefer to think of my friend John as a generous and loyal companion, trustworthy and sound. Along with his courageous spirit he had great integrity in word and deed. You could always count on him and his character. He was just beginning to reap the honors that ophthalmology bestows on its best children. Had he lived, we are all certain that he would have won every last one of them. It is a great pity and we suffer. Derrick Vail

Others have related the contributions of John McLean to ophthalmic science and teaching and his activity in a number of medical groups. It is difficult to tell adequately of his effectiveness in organizational ophthalmology for his most productive work was carried out with small groups and his