Leon Goldman, the “father of laser surgery,” began experimenting with lasers in his research laboratory shortly after they were invented in 1960 and performed the first laser surgery in 1966. He was the founding president of American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) and also served as president of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) which named its Leon Goldman Medal in his honor.
Walter Fredrick Lever was born in Erfurt, Germany, the older of a set of non-identical twins. His father, a practicing dermatologist, wanted Walter to become a urologist and preferred that his brother become a dermatologist. At the age of twelve, Walter informed his parents that he wished to become an “academic” dermatologist, the reason being that he was impressed by the physicians who could compose the articles in medical journals that his father brought home to read.
Eugene Van Scott was an innovative dermatology researcher and entrepreneur who will be remembered as a superb physician scientist. Dr. Van Scott headed dermatology at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) from 1953-1968. In 1972 he received the Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medial Research Award for demonstrating the usefulness of topical mechlorethamine (nitrogen mustard) in the treatment of patients with T-cell lymphoma.
After graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in history, Steve Katz completed his medical training at Tulane University. Following a dermatology residency at the University of Miami and serving in the military, he received postdoctoral training at the University of London where he earned a PhD in immunology in 1974.
A native of Houston, John Wolf graduated from Lamar High School and Rice University. At Rice, he earned a degree in History with a minor in English. His collegiate passion for journalism, debate, and creative writing would later pay dividends as a dermatologist. He studied medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) where he earned a master’s degree in anatomy and an MD degree in four years.
Dr. Bolognia is a longtime professor of Dermatology at Yale University. She received her medical degree and trained in dermatology at the Yale School of Medicine. She has served as president of the American Dermatological Association, the Women’s Dermatologic Society, and the Medical Dermatology Society. She was awarded the Gold Medal from the American Academy of Dermatology in 2019. Dr. Bolognia is an honorary member of at least 10 Dermatology organizations.
Hugh Greenway is a pioneer Mohs surgeon who helped bring the dermatology sub specialty into mainstream medicine. After graduating from the University of Georgia and receiving his MD degree from the Medical College of Georgia, he served as a medical missionary in Ghana, West Africa. After a nine-year Navy career, he completed a dermatology residency at the Naval medical center in San Diego which was followed by a Mohs Fellowship in Wisconsin under the direction of Fred Mohs.
Ellen Dorinda Shelley was named after her mother Ellen (Shattuck) Loeffel who was a physician at a time when few women went to medical school. Dr. Shelley grew up in St. Louis and graduated from the John Burroughs School before attending Mount Holyoke College where she graduated with a degree in Zoology. She spent post-doctoral time at Stanford after completing her medical studies and dermatology training at the University of Missouri.
Born in Ashville, North Carolina, the son and grandson of physicians, Paul Kelly, MD was an immensely influential dermatologist. Educated at Brown University where he was one of only three African American students, he went to medical school at Howard University where he was mentored by John A. Kenney Jr, MD. Following dermatology training at Henry Ford Hospital, Dr. Kelly moved to the King/Drew Medical center in Los Angeles where he served as Chief of Dermatology for more than 40 years.
If you would like to subscribe to the e-mail announcement list, please e-mail us at info@dermatologyhalloffame.org.