F. William Sunderman

Frederick William Sunderman (October 23, 1898 – March 9, 2003) was an American physician and scientist who worked in the fields of laboratory medicine, clinical chemistry and toxicology. He completed his undergraduate education at Gettysburg College and earned an MD and PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. From 1936 to 1948 he carried out research on laboratory methods and quality control at the William Pepper Laboratory of the University of Pennsylvania. During World War II, he worked for the Manhattan Project. In 1949, he established a proficiency testing service for medical laboratories which operated until 1985. He was elected president of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists in 1950. In 1971, Sunderman founded the Annals of Clinical and Laboratory Science and would serve as editor-in-chief of the journal until 1999.

Sunderman taught at several medical schools, including the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Hahnemann Medical College, where he was named professor emeritus in 1988. When Sunderman was 100, he was recognized as "America's Oldest Worker" in a contest sponsored by the United States government. He continued to work until shortly before his death at the age of 104.

Early life and education Sunderman was born on October 23, 1898, in Altoona, Pennsylvania, to William August Sunderman and Elizabeth Lehr Sunderman. He received an undergraduate degree in chemistry from Gettysburg College in 1919 and went on to pursue an MD at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1923. He completed his internship at Pennsylvania Hospital and undertook a fellowship in research medicine from the University of Pennsylvania. He obtained an MS and PhD from Pennsylvania in 1927 and 1929 respectively.