- Email: [email protected]
Wendell G. Scott
THEY WERE GIANTS
OTHA LINTON, MSJ
Wendell G. Scott Wendell G. Scott, founder of the Scott Radiology Group in St Louis, was a good radiologist and a highly effective medical politician. Along with his position in private practice, he was a clinical professor of radiology at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University. He held national leadership roles in the ACR, ARRS, the American Radium Society, RSNA, and the James Picker Foundation and also served as president of the American Cancer Society. His talents included writing and editing articles and publications to enhance his medical specialty. Dr Scott was born and raised in Colorado, where he attended the state university. In 1928, he came as a medical student to Washington University, where he graduated in 1932. His internship was at Barnes Hospital. He chose radiology residency at the Mallinckrodt Institute and passed his ABR examination in 1936. Dr Scott accepted a clinical appointment and founded his practice near the Barnes Hospital. The practice grew, adding several other radiologists, and after some years, its office was equipped with both diagnostic and therapeutic radiology equipment. When he started his practice, Dr Scott enlisted his wife as its business manager. He joined the local and state medical societies and the St Louis Radiological Society. He also was active in Washington University’s medical alumni association and was president of the Barnes Hospital Medical Society. He joined the US Navy Medical Reserve Corps as a commissioned radiologist. In those early years, Dr Scott began publishing the first of 70 scien-
tific articles. Some of them featured his scientific interest in radiographic kymography and the adoption of effective film changers for fluoroscopic procedures. His practice included both diagnosis and cancer treatments. In 1941, he was called to duty with the Navy during World War II. In the Navy reserve, he rose to the rank of rear admiral. He became a consultant to the Veterans Administration, which sent him to committee assignments all over the nation. When the ACR began its public relations effort in the 1950s, Dr Scott became a leader in promotion and publications and soon a member of the Board of Chancellors. He founded and edited a quarterly publication, Your Radiologist, circulated nationally. He also served as editor of two editions of an ACR book, Planning Guide for Radiological Installations, and became the editor of the American Cancer Society’s journal. He was vice president of RSNA and the American Radium Society and president of ARRS. In the James Picker Foundation, he helped select the awards for departments and radiology trainees. From his Navy connection, he arranged for the assignment of Lee Theros, a Navy officer who completed his radiology residency, as the second director of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology radiologic section. It was Dr Theros’ effort that led to the addition of Navy and Air Force radiologists assigned to the Army pathology center at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, DC. Dr Scott was involved in the US Public Health Service committee to
explore the development of mammography in the early 1960s. He was chairman of the ACR mammography committee and was one of the proponents of mammography on medical committees of the American Cancer Society. He helped persuade the Xerox Corporation to develop a xerographic device, which became a standard product in reproducing mammograms. Toward the end of his career, when he was a leader in the American Cancer Society, Dr Scott became involved in a major effort to persuade the federal government to expand its efforts and funding of research and facilities of cancer treatment. As an advocate of the society, he was often in Washington to lobby members of congress and to help bring pressure on President Richard Nixon. Partway through the process, President Nixon appointed Dr Scott to one of the responsive government committees. For more than a decade, Dr Scott was a delegate to the American Medical Association, representing the ARRS. He was diligent in introducing policy resolutions for radiology and in helping forfend resolutions from other delegates opposing radiology’s interests. His honors included the ACR Gold Medal, the gold medal of the St Louis Medical Society, the president’s medal of the ARRS, an American Cancer Society award, and honorary degrees from Washington University and the University of Colorado. Dr Scott died of cancer at age 66 in 1972.
Otha Linton, MSJ, 11128 Hurdle Hill Dr, Potomac, MD 20854.
© 2012 American College of Radiology 0091-2182/12/$36.00 ● DOI 10.1016/j.jacr.2011.10.008
221
OTHA LINTON, MSJ
Wendell G. Scott Wendell G. Scott, founder of the Scott Radiology Group in St Louis, was a good radiologist and a highly effective medical politician. Along with his position in private practice, he was a clinical professor of radiology at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University. He held national leadership roles in the ACR, ARRS, the American Radium Society, RSNA, and the James Picker Foundation and also served as president of the American Cancer Society. His talents included writing and editing articles and publications to enhance his medical specialty. Dr Scott was born and raised in Colorado, where he attended the state university. In 1928, he came as a medical student to Washington University, where he graduated in 1932. His internship was at Barnes Hospital. He chose radiology residency at the Mallinckrodt Institute and passed his ABR examination in 1936. Dr Scott accepted a clinical appointment and founded his practice near the Barnes Hospital. The practice grew, adding several other radiologists, and after some years, its office was equipped with both diagnostic and therapeutic radiology equipment. When he started his practice, Dr Scott enlisted his wife as its business manager. He joined the local and state medical societies and the St Louis Radiological Society. He also was active in Washington University’s medical alumni association and was president of the Barnes Hospital Medical Society. He joined the US Navy Medical Reserve Corps as a commissioned radiologist. In those early years, Dr Scott began publishing the first of 70 scien-
tific articles. Some of them featured his scientific interest in radiographic kymography and the adoption of effective film changers for fluoroscopic procedures. His practice included both diagnosis and cancer treatments. In 1941, he was called to duty with the Navy during World War II. In the Navy reserve, he rose to the rank of rear admiral. He became a consultant to the Veterans Administration, which sent him to committee assignments all over the nation. When the ACR began its public relations effort in the 1950s, Dr Scott became a leader in promotion and publications and soon a member of the Board of Chancellors. He founded and edited a quarterly publication, Your Radiologist, circulated nationally. He also served as editor of two editions of an ACR book, Planning Guide for Radiological Installations, and became the editor of the American Cancer Society’s journal. He was vice president of RSNA and the American Radium Society and president of ARRS. In the James Picker Foundation, he helped select the awards for departments and radiology trainees. From his Navy connection, he arranged for the assignment of Lee Theros, a Navy officer who completed his radiology residency, as the second director of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology radiologic section. It was Dr Theros’ effort that led to the addition of Navy and Air Force radiologists assigned to the Army pathology center at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, DC. Dr Scott was involved in the US Public Health Service committee to
explore the development of mammography in the early 1960s. He was chairman of the ACR mammography committee and was one of the proponents of mammography on medical committees of the American Cancer Society. He helped persuade the Xerox Corporation to develop a xerographic device, which became a standard product in reproducing mammograms. Toward the end of his career, when he was a leader in the American Cancer Society, Dr Scott became involved in a major effort to persuade the federal government to expand its efforts and funding of research and facilities of cancer treatment. As an advocate of the society, he was often in Washington to lobby members of congress and to help bring pressure on President Richard Nixon. Partway through the process, President Nixon appointed Dr Scott to one of the responsive government committees. For more than a decade, Dr Scott was a delegate to the American Medical Association, representing the ARRS. He was diligent in introducing policy resolutions for radiology and in helping forfend resolutions from other delegates opposing radiology’s interests. His honors included the ACR Gold Medal, the gold medal of the St Louis Medical Society, the president’s medal of the ARRS, an American Cancer Society award, and honorary degrees from Washington University and the University of Colorado. Dr Scott died of cancer at age 66 in 1972.
Otha Linton, MSJ, 11128 Hurdle Hill Dr, Potomac, MD 20854.
© 2012 American College of Radiology 0091-2182/12/$36.00 ● DOI 10.1016/j.jacr.2011.10.008
221