Deaths
Dr.
Futcher, Medicine
Dr.
Palmer H. Futcher, retired professor of medicine, died of
pneumonia on January 29, at the age of 93.
Dr.
Futcher earned his bachelor's degree from Harvard and his
medical degree in 1936 from Johns Hopkins. He also completed
his internship and residency there. He served in the Navy
during World War II, researching survival-at-sea techniques.
After his discharge from the Navy, he worked at Washington
University in St. Louis and was a faculty member at Johns
Hopkins's School of Medicine for 19 years. He joined Penn
in 1967 as an associate clinical professor of medicine. He
became clinical professor of medicine in the associated
faculty in 1989 and remained in that position until he retired
in 1994.
From
1967 to 1975, he was the head of the American Board of Internal
Medicine in Philadelphia, which establishes certification
requirements and sets standards in internal medicine. He
was also active in the World Federalist Association.
He
is survived by his daughters, Jane and Marjorie.
Memorial
donations may be made to the World Federalist Movement, 777
United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017.
Dr.
García, Obstetrics-Gynecology
Dr.
Celso-Ramón García, Emeritus William Shippen, Jr. Professor
of Human Reproduction, died on February 1 of cardiovascular
disease at the age of 82.
In
the early 1950s, along with Dr. Gregory Pincus and Dr. John
Rock, he spearheaded the development of "The Pill." He
did this work when he was an assistant professor at the University
of Puerto Rico and pursued it further on his move to Harvard
in 1955. His seminal work on the development of the oral
contraceptive was published in multiple journals, most notably
in three Science manuscripts, which formed the foundation
of the applied field of hormonal contraception. In 1965,
Dr. García came to Penn and in 1970 was given an endowment
for the William Shippen, Jr. Professorship, which he held
until becoming emeritus in 1992.
He
made important and innovative contributions to the rapidly
growing field of reproductive medicine and surgery. "He spearheaded
new approaches to the treatment of tubal disease and his
surgical ability in the "conservational" approach to reproductive
surgery was legendary," said Dr. Luigi Mastroianni, professor
of obstetrics and gynecology. He established one of the first
training programs in human reproduction in the world and
he instilled in his trainees and colleagues the philosophy
that good clinical practice should always be based on sound
scientific principles and basic or clinical experimental
evidence. It was he, together with Dr. Mastroianni who built
the foundations of the Human Reproduction Program at Penn,
which today is considered one of the leading programs for
patient care, research and training in the world. Many of
his trainees now occupy distinguished positions around the
world.
Dr. García
was a Life Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians
and Gynecologists and a Fellow of the American College of
Surgeons. In 1982-83, he was elected and served as the President
of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. The following
year he was instrumental in organizing the Society of Reproductive
Surgeons and served as its founding president.
In
1995, the School of Medicine established the Celso-Ramón
García Endowed Professorship to honor "this great clinician
investigator with vision, perseverance, and an unparalleled
dedication to women's health." During his career, he received
multiple institutional, national and international awards.
In 2000, the U.N. honored him with the Scientific Leadership
Award.
He
is survived by his daughter, Sarita Cole; his son, Celso;
four grandchildren; and a sister and brother.
Memorial
donations may be made to Faculty Scholarship Fund at the
University of Pennsylvania, c/o Penn Medicine Development
Office, 3535 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19104.