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Samuel J. Crowe, M.D.
 Dr. Samuel J. Crowe (1912-1952) |
By 1914, laryngology, as it was then designated, was an organized subdivision of surgery, with Crowe on a geographical full-time basis as head. Harry R. Slack was his principal assistant. Crowe published his first paper in this field in 1917 in The Johns Hopkins Hospital Bulletin; the subject was the relation of tonsillar and nasopharyngeal inflictions to general systemic disorders.
Although he was never a prolific writer, a number of his papers were landmarks in the field. It was not until 1920 that the first assistant resident surgeon for laryngology, John W. Baylor, was appointed, but from then on the yearly rotation list contains many now well-known names in the field. John W. Baylor, Edwin N. Broyles, Leroy M. Polvogt, Floyd N. Adams, Jr., John E. Bordley, and Dudley C. Babb remained in Baltimore, as did J. Julian Chisolm, to become valued members of the part-time staff. Broyles for many years was in charge of the bronchoscopic work at Johns Hopkins. A development of great significance occurred in 1924, when the otological research laboratory was established with financial support from the General Educational Board.
The main purpose of this laboratory was the study of deafness, and Stacy R. Gould, a Ph.D. who had formerly been associate professor of anatomy at the University of Michigan, was brought to Hopkins to direct the laboratory.
In 1927, the General Education Board made a gift of $15,000 annually for five years on condition that a like sum be raised by the University. Generous contributions from the duPont family among others enabled the Medical School to raise this money. The grant was renewed by the Rockefeller interest in 1932 under the same terms. The fundamental studies of the anatomy, physiology, and pathology of the organs of hearing attracted wide attention and generated a flow of patients with hearing problems to Hopkins.
In 1931-32, Crowe, with the collaboration of Guild and Walter Hughson, presented his work on deafness in one of the Harvey lecture series. Chesney ventured the opinion in 1942 that Crowe's department was the most productive of its kind in the country. It was built almost entirely upon outside grants — many of which were obtained by gifts from Crowe's private patients — a long line of residents and fellows received basic training in problems of deafness through this laboratory.
By 1940 the staff of the laryngology and otology division had increased to twenty-two, including fellows, but all the senior members were part-time except Crowe and the research staff.
Samuel J. Crowe was born in Virginia, on April 16,1883. He attended Emory College for a year (1901-2) and then transferred to the University of Georgia, from which he received his B.A. degree in 1904. He wished to become an engineer but was prevailed upon by his father to study medicine instead. He entered the Hopkins Medical School in 1904 and obtained his degree in 1908.
Immediately upon graduation, he was appointed assistant in surgery and assigned to work with Harvey Cushing on the pituitary gland in the Hunterian laboratory. At the end of the year, he was appointed assistant resident surgeon and was in charge of the neurosurgical cases under Cushing's supervision, serving in that capacity for a year (1909-1910). He then returned to the Hunterian laboratory to resume work on the pituitary with Cushing, who by this time had accepted a call to go to Harvard as professor of surgery.
Crowe expected to go to Boston with Cushing when fate intervened in the shape of Halsted, who offered Crowe the opportunity to heard up the sub department of otolaryngology. "Sam," as he was known to his colleagues was by nature retiring and not given much to speech. He was most considerate and thoughtful of his patients and exceptionally gentle when examining the nasopharyngeal passages. He worked unremittingly to advance his specialty and trained a large number of young men, who became his ardent disciples
.
After retiring in 1952, Crowe set about writing a history of the Department of Surgery at the urgent request of Alfred Blalock. The manuscript was completed in early November 1955. Only a few hours after its completion, he suffered a massive coronary occlusion, from which he died two weeks later, on November 13, 1955. Crowe was succeeded as head of otolaryngology by Bordley, a favored pupil of his.
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John E. Bordley, M.D.
Dr. John E. Bordley (1952-1969) |
His surgical internship was served with distinction in Australia, New Guinea and the Philippines, meriting three battle stars for his service in the Pacific theater.
After separating from the Service and returning to Baltimore he was appointed Director of the Department of Otolaryngology in June 1952, succeeding Crowe in that post.
As Otolaryngologist-in-charge at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, he became the second person to hold this prestigious position and the first full-time Chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology in June of 1952. He was also designated the Andelot Professor of Otolaryngology. His teaching at Hopkins spanned 35 years. His work in developing the department was phenomenal. He ran a strong clinical service, and developed an extensive research program, which had an extremely broad base.
Both produced much valuable material and in addition, trained young people who continued in research at Hopkins and other institutions.
In collaboration with William G. Hardy, Ph.D. of the Hearing and Speech Clinic at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, he developed an interdisciplinary approach to the treatment of hearing and speech disabilities. The program developed a firm cooperation between medical care, audiological and speech services which was so successful that Boystown solicited and obtained his cooperation in developing the equally successful Boystown National Institute for Communicative Disorders in Children.
Dr. Bordley's research included physiological, experimental and clinical studies on deafness, communications, and rubella (both epidemiological and anatomical studies) and its relation to hearing loss. He participated in the first studies assessing the effectiveness of steroids on allergic rhinitis and nasal polyps and a host of other subjects relevant to the care of the otolaryngological patient. His special interest was always the "rehabilitation of the deaf." Dr. Bordley was succeed by Dr. George Nager.
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George Nager , M.D.
Dr. George Nager (1969-1984) |
Those
privileged to know Dr. Nager know that his family and his science remain
at the center of his life. Although retired since 1984 from the chair
of the Department, his routine remains. He regularly meets with current
faculty and trainees in his home, offering his unique guidance and insight.
He still makes appearances in the clinic, offering encouragement to staff
and patients, and in doing so, brightens the day for all.
Time has treated Dr. Nager's research accomplishments well. His work was
recently highlighted in a workshop on mechanisms of hearing loss sponsored
by the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. George Nager remains an icon at Johns Hopkins and, indeed, in the
world of academic Otolaryngology. As he continues to enjoy unraveling
the mysteries of medicine, he thrives on collaboration with other eminent
Hopkins scientists and clinicians. Our appreciation for who he is and
what he has accomplished in his most distinguished career continues to
grows.
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 Dr. Michael M.E. Johns (1984-1991) |
Michael
Johns came to Johns Hopkins in 1984 from the University of Virginia to
be chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
Trained as a head and neck oncologic surgeon, he received joint appointments
in the departments of oncology and neurological surgery. As Chair of the
department of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, Johns developed a
small department into the largest academic department of otolaryngology-head
and neck surgery in the country and one with a premier research faculty.
In partnership with chairmen of the departments of biomedical engineering
and neurosciences, Johns created the Center for Hearing Sciences, a multidisciplinary
research center that examines the fundamental training program for clinical
and basic science trainees interested in clinically relevant research
to support the broad discipline of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery.
In 1986 he also was named Associate Dean of the entire medical faculty
as well as the responsibility for planning and developing the new Johns
Hopkins Outpatient Center. The Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center geographically
and organizationally combines the major components of the faculty's ambulatory
practice and supports the move from autonomous practices to an integrated
multidisciplinary group practice.
During this period he was instrumental in creating The Clinical Practice
Association, which represents the full time faculty practice and introduced
steps that began the repositioning of the faculty practice as an integrated
group practice. A specialist in the management of head and neck tumors,
Johns achieved an international reputation as a cancer surgeon. He
made major innovative contributions to the field of skull base surgery
and published over 150 papers and chapters in scientific journals and
books on a range of issues that dealt with the epidemiology, diagnosis,
staging, treatment and outcome of head and neck cancer.
In 1990, Michael Johns became dean of the Medical Faculty and Vice President
for Medicine of Johns Hopkins University. Under his leadership, the medical
school moved into first place among all medical schools in sponored research.
He led an initiative that resulted in a complete revamping of the medical
school curriculum. He expanded the medical school's endowment and developed
new and innovative relationships with our neighborhood in East Baltimore.
In 1996, Johns became the CEO of the Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences
Center at Emory University. He is also the Executive Vice President for
Health Affairs at Emory and the Chairman of the Board of Emory
Health Care.
Johns is a leading spokesman on the reform of the nation's health
care system, and is particularly noted for his innovative ideas for
the
reform of medical and postgraduate medical education, and for his leadership
in efforts to define and enhance the role of the academic health center
in our changing health care system. He was recognized for his leadership
in advocating and supporting service linkages to communities and community
providers. He spoke widely on these topics and was actively involved
at the highest levels in deliberations with the Clinton Administration
on proposed reforms in the health care system.
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Charles
W. Cummings, M.D.
Dr. Charles W. Cummings (1991-2003) |
Charles
Cummings received his BA in 1957 from Dartmouth College, his MD in 1961
from the University of Virginia and completed his Otolaryngology-Head
and Neck residency at Harvard in 1968.
Cummings was in private practice in Boston until 1976, was an Associate
Professor at SUNY until 1978, served as Chairman of the Department of
Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Washington until
1990, and from 1991 to present is Andelot Professor and Chairman, Department
of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Johns Hopkins.
Cummings is senior editor of the Comprehensive Text of Otolaryngology-Head
and Neck Surgery published by Mosby and has authored two surgical atlases,
laryngeal and head and neck surgical assessment. Currently he is past-president
of the American Society for Head and Neck Surgery and served of the Board
of Directors of the American Board of Otolaryngology for 13 years.
Additionally, he is a past-president of the Association of Academic Departments
of Otolaryngology, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery,
American Bronchoesophagological Society, and Association Academic Departments
of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery. He has served as chairman of
Residency Review Committee for Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery and
Chairman of Advisory Council for Otolaryngology to American College of
Surgeons. He is past Chairman of Hospital Staff at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Cummings is currently the vice president for medical affairs at Johns
Hopkins Medicine International. in his role, he is expanding the relationships
and affiliations of Johns Hopkins Medicine with hospitals and institutions
around the world.
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Lloyd
B. Minor, M.D.
 Dr. Lloyd B. Minor 2003 - Present |
Minor
joined Hopkins in 1993 as an assistant professor. He became a professor
of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, of biomedical engineering, and
of neuroscience in 2001. He founded the departments Laboratory of Vestibular
Neurophysiology. Work in this laboratory advances our understanding of
how the body perceives head motion and maintains balance. Under his leadership,
the research program in balance disorders in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head
and Neck Surgery grew from two staff members to 17 and now brings in more
than $800,000 per year in grant support. On the clinical side, he and
his colleagues are involved in more than 2,000 patient visits, 1,000 vestibular
tests and 200 procedures per year.
In 1998, Minor and his colleagues discovered that tiny perforations in
the bone covering the top balance canal in the inner ear can lead to a
clinical syndrome in which loud noises cause dizziness. These patients
with superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome can also have heightened
sensitivity to sound in the affected ear. After making the discovery by
studying abnormal eye movements caused by loud noises in these patients,
he devised a surgical procedure to correct the anatomical problem.
He also is known for treatment of Meniere's disease, a syndrome involving
dizziness, hearing loss, and ringing or pressure in the ears. Using gentamicin,
an antibiotic that shuts down key cells in the balance system, Minor and
his colleagues disable the balance system in one ear. The drug, given
by injection into the ear, has proven effective in 90 percent of cases,
usually with little or no hearing loss.
Born in Little Rock, Ark., Minor received his bachelor's degree in biology
from Brown University in 1979 and his medical degree from Brown in 1982.
He completed his two-year core surgical residency at Duke University,
followed by a four-year postdoctoral research fellowship in vestibular
physiology and a residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at
the University of Chicago. He then was a clinical fellow at The Otology
Group and The EAR Foundation in Nashville, Tenn.
He is the immediate past-president of the Association for Research in
Otolaryngology and recently completed a term as the chair of the Auditory
Research (AUD) study section of the National Institutes of Health.
In 2003, Dr. Minor succeeded Charles W. Cummings as the Andelot Professor
and Director of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
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