Alumni Association History

By David B. Levine, MD

In 1912, a Constitution and By-laws of the Society of the Alumni of the Hospital for the Ruptured and Crippled were drafted. The object was advancement of the branches of surgery represented at the hospital and to promote social exchange. Membership was designated as:

• Active Members-Persons who have served on the house staff
• Associate Members-Persons who have served on the Attending staff

The annual dues (as amended December 19, 1914) were $1 per member plus the cost of the annual dinner.  Dr. Virgil P. Gibney served as the first President of the Association and the first meeting was held December 29 and 30, 1913.  Annual meetings have been held without interruption except in years of World War I, World War II and 1936-37. Alumni officers of the Hospital for the Ruptured and Crippled (the name was changed in 1940 to the Hospital for Special Surgery) have included many prominent orthopaedic surgeons over the past ninety-three years.

Alumni worldwide have returned at various times to attend the scientific programs provided annually at the alumni meetings usually in November. This devoted Alumni Association has been a major force in strengthening the hospital and promoting it to continue as a leader of the orthopaedic world.  From this group, alumni have continued to encourage young physicians in training to apply for postgraduate residency and fellowship positions at HSS. As the size and composition of the house staff changes, the Alumni Association becomes even stronger and more important in the future of Hospital for Special Surgery. 

The HSS Alumni Association has over 1,200 members living in 37 countries and 45 US states.

Past Presidents

1913-15 Virgil P. Gibney, MD
1916-17 Clarence L. Starr, MD
1917-18 No Meeting - War Years
1919-20 A. R. Shands, MD
1920-22 William T. Shields, MD
1922-23 F. W. Gilday, MD
1923-25 E. W. Hannock, MD
1925-26 John A. Brooke, MD
1926-28 A. Mackenzie Forbes, MD
1928-30 Charlton Wallace, MD
1930-31 Lewis Clark Wagner, MD
1931-32 Earl Van Derweker, MD
1932-33 Percy W. Roberts, MD
1933-34 Lewis Clark Wagner, MD
1934-35 Armitage Whitman, MD
1935-36 Richmond Stephens, MD
1936-37 No Meeting
1937-38 Andrew R. MacAusland, MD
1938-39 Walter Craig, MD
1939-40 Paul Colonna, MD
1940-41 Earl Van Derwerker, MD
1941-42 Frank A. Purcell, MD
1942-43 Barney Owens, MD
1943-46 No Meeting - War Years
1947-48 Francis J. Carr, MD
1948-49 Theodore A. Willis, MD
1949-50 Toufick Nicola, MD
1950-51 Burr H. Curtis, MD
1951-52 Rufus A. Aldredge, MD
1952-53 Walter C. Graham, MD
1953-54 Arthur A. Thibodeau, MD
1954-55 J. Gordon Petrie, MD
1955-56 Albert C. Schmidt, MD
1956-57 John J. Flanagan, MD
1957-58 Reginald C. Farrow, MD
1958-59 Joseph H. Boland, MD
1959-60 Donald W. Blanche, MD
1960-61 Frank F. Parrish, MD
1961-62 Paul C. Colonna, MD
1962-63 John R. Cobb, MD
1963-64 T. Campbell Thompson, MD
1964-65 Frank W. Teague, MD
1965-66 Theodore A. Lynn, MD
1966-67 Lee Ramsay Straub, MD
1967-68 William F. Donaldson, MD
1968-69 Homer C. Pheasant, MD
1969-70 Ernest M. Burgess, MD
1970-71 Paul H. Curtiss, Jr., MD
1971-72 Vincent J. Turco, MD
1972-73 Michael M. Donovan, MD
1973-74 Richard P. Embick, MD
1974-75 J. Paul Harvey, Jr., MD
1975-76 Robert L. Patterson, Jr., MD
1976-77 James A. Nicholas, MD
1977-78 Charles H. Herndon, MD
1978-79 Harlan C. Amstutz, MD
1979-80 Philip D. Wilson, Jr., MD
1980-81 Peter V.C. Dingman, MD
1981-82 Bernard Jacobs, MD
1982-83 Americo A. Savastano, MD
1983-84 Alexander Hersh, MD
1984-85 John D. Haugh, MD
1985-86 Allan E. Inglis, MD
1986-87 Alan Pavel, MD
1987-88 David B. Levine, MD
1988-89 Victor M. Goldberg, MD
1989-90 Leon Root, MD
1990-91 Clifford W. Colwell, Jr., MD
1991-92 Russell F. Warren, MD
1992-93 Chitranjan S. Ranawat, MD
1993-94 Paul A. Lotke, MD
1994-95 John P. Lyden, MD
1995-96 Michael F. Rodi, MD
1996-97 Thomas P. Sculco, MD
1997-98 Merrill A. Ritter, MD
1998-99 Eduardo A. Salvati, MD
1999-00 Norman Johanson, MD
2000-01 Patrick F. O'Leary, MD
2001-02 Paolo Aglietti, MD
2002-03 Joseph M. Lane, MD
2003-04 Serena Hu, MD
2004-05 Charles N. Cornell, MD
2005-06 Gary M. Gartsman, MD

Past Secretary/Treasurers

1913-16 Charles Ogilvy, MD
1919-20 Richmond Stephens, MD
1920-21 Isadore Zadek, MD
1922-23 Earle E. Van Derwerker, MD
1924-25 Touflick Nicola, MD
1925-27 Irwin Balensweig, MD
1928-32 Lewis Clark Wagner, MD
1933-38 Francis Carr, MD
1939-40 Peter Cyrus Rizzo, MD
1940-41 John J. Flanagan, MD
1941-42 Frederick Vom Saal, MD
1942-46 No Meeting - War Years
1946-48 Lewis Clark Wagner, MD
1948-49 Henry P. Lange, MD
1949-61 Lewis Clark Wagner, MD
1961-68 Peter Cyrus Rizzo, MD
1968-75 Bernard Jacobs, MD
1975-82 David B. Levine, MD
1982-89 Thomas D. Rizzo, MD
1989-94 John P. Lyden, MD
1994-01 Charles N. Cornell, MD
2001-04 Paul M. Pellicci, MD
2004-07 Riley J. Williams, III, MD