Mart Mannik M.D. - Lucile T. Henderson Endowed Professorship in Rheumatology

Est. 2004

The Mart Mannik, M.D.-Lucile T. Henderson Endowed Professorship in Rheumatology was created by the friends and admirers of Dr. Mart Mannik, as well as by the estate of Lucile T. Henderson.

Mart Mannik, M.D., professor emeritus at UW Medicine, served as the head of the Division of Rheumatology from 1967 to 2001. Dr. Mannik had a long, illustrious career at UW Medicine and played a commanding role in shaping the field of rheumatology in the Northwest. Under his leadership, UW faculty led research initiatives in rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and other associated diseases. As the program director and principal investigator for an NIH-supported research training grant in rheumatology, Dr. Mannik supervised or personally trained more than 100 rheumatologists, several of whom subsequently became leaders in the field. In addition, through his leadership roles at the University of Washington and activities in the local arthritis foundation, Dr. Mannik helped to transform the Northwest into a stronghold of high-quality clinical care and outstanding basic rheumatologic investigation.

On the national level, Dr. Mannik was active in the Arthritis Foundation, serving on the Board of Directors, the Board of Governors, and the Board of Trustees. He was the Co-Chairman of the Research Work Group of the National Arthritis Commission, created by the Congress in the National Arthritis Act of 1974, which prepared a plan for research for the nation on all forms of arthritis. He also served on the National Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Advisory Council of the National Institutes of Health. He served on a number of committees of the American College of Rheumatology. In recognition of his research accomplishments, Dr. Mannik was elected a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, a member of the American Association of Physicians and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Among other awards, Dr. Mannik received a MERIT Award from the National Institutes of Health, the Lee Howley Prize for Research in Arthritis from the Arthritis Foundation (the highest award in the United States for research on arthritis), the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Case Western Reserve University and the Distinguished Investigator Award from the American College of Rheumatology.

Lucile Evelyn Townsend Henderson was born in 1904, and she graduated from the University of Washington in 1927 with a degree in economics and a minor in French. Her family didn’t have enough money to support graduate studies, so Ms. Henderson went to work, instead. Her career was spent working with children in various capacities: as the executive director of the Seattle Girl Scouts Council and later, with her husband Frank C. Henderson, in running the San Juan International Camp for Boys on San Juan Island, Wash. Mrs. Henderson was widely admired for her directness and intelligence. Her sister suffered with severe rheumatoid arthritis and succumbed to this disease. In her memory, the Henderson family established the Townsend-Henderson Fund for research on rheumatoid arthritis for the Division of Rheumatology. Over many years, the Townsend-Henderson Fund provided some support for research conducted, directed and published by Dr. Mannik. A copy of each of these publications — complete with citations for support from the Townsend-Henderson Fund and grants from the National Institutes of Health — was sent to Mrs. Henderson. Although Mrs. Henderson appreciated this recognition, she stated that she did not understand the technical details involved in the research. When Mrs. Henderson passed away, she left a portion of her estate to support research on rheumatoid arthritis and related disorders, which the Division used to establish three endowed professorships in the Division of Rheumatology.

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