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William Holden: Medical statesman
William Holden: Medical Statesman
Anyone fortunate enough to have been closely associated with a great academic leader in surgery will know how difficult it is to put into words the essence of this relationship, and I am no exception. In honoring William Douglas Holden most of the adjectival expressions reserved for occasions such as this seem a bit shopworn. It would be a simple matter, I suppose, to pull out all the stock phrases like “highly respected,” “stimulating and “outstanding inteacher,” “ skilled surgeon,” vestigator” and be done with it. Although these are certainly appropriate terms in any description of Doctor Holden, they fall far short of the mark in painting a word picture of this unique individual. Those who know him will feel further constrained by the knowledge that this modest man, who has known only how to give rather than receive, will be embarrassed by any attempt to recount his many contributions to American medicine and to the many men and women who have been privileged to share his company and come under his tutelage. Few men owe more than I do to Bill for awakening a nascent interest in academic medicine and providing help and guidance throughout my professional career. It is some measure of the man that he would be the last to view this as a debt. Many others who have come to assume responsible positions in surgery, education, research, and medical administration will share this sentiment. Top quality performance, whatever the task or calling, was all he asked in return. The extent to which his many students have and will continue to measure up must surely be a fitting reward for one who has given so unstintingly of himself. As we gathered in Cleveland in May 1975 to pay tribute to Doctor Holden for his twenty-five years of dedicated service to Case Western Reserve University as Chairman of its Department of Surgery, the casual observer could be forgiven the erroneous conclusion that he might be entering the “twilight” of his career. In point of fact, it’s more like “high noon.” Even this temporal metaphor may also be fallacious for the shadow he casts has never been longer. Few men on the contemporary scene are as influential in plotting the future course of medical education and all its many facets as Doctor Holden, and he continues to go about his many tasks tirelessly and with characteristic humility, dedication, and quiet dignity. 508
Those of us who over the years have unashamedly basked in Doctor Holden’s reflected glory have been gratified by the many honors and awards recently bestowed on him and are pleased that he will not be counted among the legions of heroes whose feats remain unsung. Last year he received the Distinguished Service Award of the American College of Surgeons. In 1970 he was elected President of the American Surgical Association. He presently serves on the Coordinating Council on Medical Education, the Advisory Council on Manpower of the Institute of Medicine, and as chairman of the Committee on Policy for Extramural Relationships of the National Board of Medical Examiners. He was instrumental in founding the American Board of Medical Specialties and later served as its President. These are but a few of the important roles that Bill has played during these tumultuous times of American medicine in transition. His wry humor, taciturnity, and gentle manner are all part of his charm and are obvious revelations of his New England heritage. If it is true that a man is just as big as the things that make him mad, Bill Holden is something of a giant. Pettiness is totally foreign to his character. His fair-mindedness and finely tuned sense of justice create a climate in which lively debates flourish and disagreements can be expressed without rancor or fear of retribution. This is not to say that he suffers fools gladly-a point on which I can provide personal testimony should the need arise. His lifelong fascination with railroads has been a continual source of amusement to his close associates of a bygone day. Were it in my power in the days that lie ahead, I could think of no better way to honor him and indicate our respect for the way he helped bear our burdens and husband our careers than to name a locomotive the “Holden Iron Horse Express.” History alone, much as yet unwritten, will without doubt have a place for William Holden among the foremost medical statesmen of our time.
Jack W. Cole, MD Ensign Professor of Surgery Yale University School of Medicine New Haven, Connecticut
The American Journalol Surgery
Anyone fortunate enough to have been closely associated with a great academic leader in surgery will know how difficult it is to put into words the essence of this relationship, and I am no exception. In honoring William Douglas Holden most of the adjectival expressions reserved for occasions such as this seem a bit shopworn. It would be a simple matter, I suppose, to pull out all the stock phrases like “highly respected,” “stimulating and “outstanding inteacher,” “ skilled surgeon,” vestigator” and be done with it. Although these are certainly appropriate terms in any description of Doctor Holden, they fall far short of the mark in painting a word picture of this unique individual. Those who know him will feel further constrained by the knowledge that this modest man, who has known only how to give rather than receive, will be embarrassed by any attempt to recount his many contributions to American medicine and to the many men and women who have been privileged to share his company and come under his tutelage. Few men owe more than I do to Bill for awakening a nascent interest in academic medicine and providing help and guidance throughout my professional career. It is some measure of the man that he would be the last to view this as a debt. Many others who have come to assume responsible positions in surgery, education, research, and medical administration will share this sentiment. Top quality performance, whatever the task or calling, was all he asked in return. The extent to which his many students have and will continue to measure up must surely be a fitting reward for one who has given so unstintingly of himself. As we gathered in Cleveland in May 1975 to pay tribute to Doctor Holden for his twenty-five years of dedicated service to Case Western Reserve University as Chairman of its Department of Surgery, the casual observer could be forgiven the erroneous conclusion that he might be entering the “twilight” of his career. In point of fact, it’s more like “high noon.” Even this temporal metaphor may also be fallacious for the shadow he casts has never been longer. Few men on the contemporary scene are as influential in plotting the future course of medical education and all its many facets as Doctor Holden, and he continues to go about his many tasks tirelessly and with characteristic humility, dedication, and quiet dignity. 508
Those of us who over the years have unashamedly basked in Doctor Holden’s reflected glory have been gratified by the many honors and awards recently bestowed on him and are pleased that he will not be counted among the legions of heroes whose feats remain unsung. Last year he received the Distinguished Service Award of the American College of Surgeons. In 1970 he was elected President of the American Surgical Association. He presently serves on the Coordinating Council on Medical Education, the Advisory Council on Manpower of the Institute of Medicine, and as chairman of the Committee on Policy for Extramural Relationships of the National Board of Medical Examiners. He was instrumental in founding the American Board of Medical Specialties and later served as its President. These are but a few of the important roles that Bill has played during these tumultuous times of American medicine in transition. His wry humor, taciturnity, and gentle manner are all part of his charm and are obvious revelations of his New England heritage. If it is true that a man is just as big as the things that make him mad, Bill Holden is something of a giant. Pettiness is totally foreign to his character. His fair-mindedness and finely tuned sense of justice create a climate in which lively debates flourish and disagreements can be expressed without rancor or fear of retribution. This is not to say that he suffers fools gladly-a point on which I can provide personal testimony should the need arise. His lifelong fascination with railroads has been a continual source of amusement to his close associates of a bygone day. Were it in my power in the days that lie ahead, I could think of no better way to honor him and indicate our respect for the way he helped bear our burdens and husband our careers than to name a locomotive the “Holden Iron Horse Express.” History alone, much as yet unwritten, will without doubt have a place for William Holden among the foremost medical statesmen of our time.
Jack W. Cole, MD Ensign Professor of Surgery Yale University School of Medicine New Haven, Connecticut
The American Journalol Surgery