One wonders how many really great ideas have been conceived while watching a swallow, or hiking in the high country, or resting at the top of a ski run. As near as I can determine - and it is not often that one can get back to the real beginning - the beginning must have been preceded by a need, frustration, and determination. However, the idea of the Plastic Surgery Research Council was probably conceived on the high seas. At least it was somewhere between Long Island Sound and Block Island, outward bond on the "Sally-R" of Manhasset. Robin Anderson and Milt Edgerton were co-skippers, with Tommy and Pat urging them on.
There was a growing feeling among the "younger" plastic surgeons of a need for a forum to discuss research which was not necessarily completed, but rather to discuss what they were doing with their problems, what their difficulties were, and what were some of their initial conclusions. It was thought that the "big societies" were jousting fields for the political giants, and it was felt that research was very much taking a back seat. The American College of Surgeons had started its Surgical Forum in 1949, and its Plastic Surgery Section under Joe Murray in 1953 (the thirty-sixth volume of the Surgical Forum was dedicated to Joe Murray in 1985).
Bob and Marge McCormack attended a subsequent meeting with Milt, Robin, et. al., in Baltimore, and at that time, the ladies were particularly concerned that the name should not be a "Society" or an "Association" or anything that would imply selection and "keeping out." Another meeting was held in Steve Lewis's room at the Coronado Beach Hotel in San Diego in 1954 at the time of the Board Exams and the Association Meeting. This group included Milt Edgerton, Steve Lewis, Joe Murray, Ray Brauer, Bob McCormack, Fred McCoy, and Dave Robinson. Louis T. Byars of St. Louis, and Brad Cannon of Boston also stopped by and added their encouragement. Bill Byars urged that they "keep it young" and Brad Cannon noted "you people who are doing the research should get together and start meeting at various Universities and have an honest-to-gosh discussion in the research field utilizing not only yourselves but the local talent at the various Universities."
Sixteen names were picked to be invited to an "Organizational Meeting" to be held in Baltimore in the fall of 1955. The word "picked" implies selecting a few from the many, whereas actually this was more a search for the "any" from the "few." Advice was sought from T.G. Blocker of Galveston, and he also was extremely supportive and enthusiastic, though cautioning that we should expect considerable opposition. He also urged that we "keep it young" and suggested the name "P.U.S." for "Plastic University Surgeons." However, the word "University" itself implied restriction and was ultimately discarded. The word "Council" was eventually (but not initially) chosen, and had literally been taken from the Indian usage of the word to indicate an open gathering of all those concerned. It has served this purpose well.
On September the 23rd and 24th, 1955, all of the sixteen who were invited attended the first meeting of "The Plastic Research Society." Dr. Alfred Blalock, who had successfully operated on his first "blue baby" just twelve years before, welcomed the fledgling group and gave it his full and welcomed support. The original goals and concepts of an open forum with free discussion of work completed, and work in progress continue, and the suggestions of "keep it young" and meet independently at research institutions continue.
This thirty-five year history has been put together in a very informal way to try to make it more readable. It is highly biased by my own personal feelings and recollections, for which I apologize in advance. I am grateful to many of my colleagues for filling in a number of the details, and again apologize for my omissions and any errors. It seemed totally counter-productive just to list all the titles and authors on all the programs, and I am completely incapable of supplying details of all of these papers from my illegible notes. So instead I have tried to pick out the presentations by both the home teams and the council members and guests that seemed to stand out, and to point out some of the trends in our research. In more recent years, much of the research has simply been beyond my understanding, and I have depended on the Program Chairmen and local hosts to a tremendous degree.
To complete this introduction, I would like to add a few quotes from some of the early members.
Milt Edgerton: "The discussions were informal, the speakers were interrupted when questions seemed appropriate and adequate time was allowed for discussions. The opportunity to easily visit the laboratories of the basic scientists within the University and the ease with which we could get them to attend our meeting sessions convinced many of us that we should always hold the meetings of the Council in a medical center rather than in a resort or hotel area. Great stress was placed on the concept that work "in progress" could be presented for helpful suggestions or criticism with the certainty that the work would remain primarily that of the original investigators."
Robin Anderson: "My most powerful remembrances of the Research Council are those associated with its founding. I'm not sure exactly when, but Bill Byars and I skirted around this subject once or twice in the year prior to our actually doing something positive about it. I remember specifically asking him whether we young rebels might be "shot down" or "drummed out of the corps" by our elders for our treason. This was pretty heady stuff for kids just out of training - either not yet or just recently boarded. Bill did not consider this a serious possibility.
The Edgertons' and Andersons' trip on the high seas was full of speculation about the possibility of getting a group of our own, and was followed by the discussions at the Coronado the fall of that year. I remember returning to the hotel right after finishing the exams and hearing my name being paged - it was Byars who wanted to see me immediately! With some trepidation, I went to his room and was greeted with congratulations and a half a tumbler of scotch. It was then that he said the time was ripe to go ahead with plans for a new society of youngsters. Although I don't think that he conceived of research as the major thrust of such a group. At the same meeting, some of us talked further with both Byars and Brad Cannon who continued to encourage us to proceed.
Prior to our first official meeting, I composed a Constitution and set of By-laws, the prime purpose of which was to keep the new society pure and virtuous by avoiding the hierarchic pitfalls and elitist attitudes of the established societies. If my memory is correct, we approved the document in Baltimore in the fall of 1955. It is interesting to note that our original idealistic concept of the Council has remained essentially unchanged for thirty- five years - most remarkable!"
David Robinson: "I remember very well the articulate differences of opinion that we had in the Founding group, trying to arrive at some consensus as to what we should do and stand for, who should be the constituent members, how the meeting should be conducted, what should be the content, and what the impact on the future of plastic surgery would be... Certainly, this was a group of stimulated, interested, aggressive, productive young men who were going to move our specialty forward."
Bob Hagerty: "In summary, creative thinking is one of life's great joys and here was a unique opportunity to experience it and put it to use."
Sammy Paletta: "I remember the mumbling that went on at the Society meeting in L.A. when Dupertuis was President. They were wondering what the young Turks were up to... The early meetings were real highlights in my life, to be greeted by great men like Blalock at Hopkins and Blocker at Galveston. All these components were stimulating and encouraging to us."
Reuven Snyderman: "It was a privilege to sit on the landing in Milt Edgerton's house, for well over an hour, and speak with Dr. Blalock as we wandered over a number of interesting subjects."
Bernie Sarnat: "What did we want? What did we hope for? We sought to establish a forum for the interchange of ideas, particularly by inquisitive, enthusiastic, dedicated researchers. We were adamant that this should be a youthful organization, and this was incorporated in our Constitution."
Bill Lindsay: "The work presented by members of our vintage was fantastic when you look back on it. Yet, most of those workers, including myself, to a certain degree, stopped pursuing those areas of their interest at a relatively young age. It is interesting to speculate on the reasons for this, and to peer through the looking glass and hypothesize what our plastic surgery way of life would be today if all of us had kept up work on these research areas of interest."
Ray Broadbent: "Certificates of membership were not available until two years after (my) first meeting in 1957. The membership certificates were distributed but signed only by the secretary since apparently no one could find the Chairman of the original meeting."
Dick Stark: "I think the 'watershed' meeting, when we came of age, was that held in Cleveland, attended by Rainsford Mowlem and David Matthews. Their approbation greatly influenced the doyens of "The Association' which was meeting immediately after in Milwaukee."
Erle Peacock: "I have.. warm memories of Rupert Billingham giving so generously of his time at the Cleveland meeting. Again, it was not his formal presentation, but the opportunity to talk with him informally that made the impression. A similar visit to the library in Kansas City stands out in my mind. In all of these instances, it was the host University which provided the intimate scientific experience and I thought it was a superb opportunity, that only a small group like the Research Council in those days could provide."
Gil Eade: "From my particular stand point, the most important thing was the free exchange of ideas amongst the members. I sort of felt that as the group matured and came of age, it lost that because more definitive presentations were expected, and the stimulus toward pursuing something just a little bit further or perhaps in a slightly different direction, which came out of those early meetings, was lost."
R.C.A. Weatherly-White: "The Research Council to me exemplifies all that is good about our field; encouragement to young investigators, honest and critical discussion accepted in good humor by the members, and a deep dedication to the ideals of excellence."
Harry Buncke: "I was very impressed with the congeniality of the group and felt that all of the presentations were interesting and exciting, because they were practically new ideas in every instance. The meetings were small enough so that the group could be handled without too many problems logistically and the audience seemed very enthusiastic."
Of the sixteen Founding Members of the Plastic Surgery Research Council, five have become Presidents of ASPRS, four have become Presidents of AAPS, thirteen have been training program directors. Three have been "Clinician of the Year" of the Association, and two have received the Special Achievement Award of the Society. Eleven have become Directors of the American Board of Plastic Surgery, four have been Chairman, and three have been Vice Chairman. With the exception of Charlie Neumann, all are still living at this date, and nine are still in active practice. They have been a superb group of friends.
Peter Randall, M.D.
Historian
Robin Anderson, M.D. Cleveland, Ohio Raymond O. Brauer, M.D. Houston, Texas Milton T. Edgerton, M.D. Baltimore, Maryland Robert F. Hagerty, M.D. Charleston, South Carolina Creighton A. Hardin, M.D. Kansas City, Kansas James H. Hendrix, M.D. Jackson, Mississippi Stephen R. Lewis, M.D. Galveston, Texas Robert M. McCormack, M.D. Rochester, New York Frederick J. McCoy, M.D. Kansas City Missouri Joseph E. Murray, M.D. Boston, Massachusetts Charles G. Neumann, M.D. New York, New York Francis X. Paletta, M.D. St. Louis, Missouri Peter Randall, M.D. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Bernard Sarnat, M.D. Chicago, Illinois Reuven K. Snyderman, M.D. New York, New York Richard B. Stark, M.D. New York, New York