Gerald Bertram Webb

Gerald Bertram Webb (September 24, 1871–January 27, 1948) was an English-born American physician who became the first president of the American Association of Immunologists, as well as president of the American Clinical and Climatological Association, National Tuberculosis Association, and Association of American Physicians.

Early life and education Webb was a native of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. After three years of study at Guy's Hospital in London, he came to the United States in 1893. He and his American-born wife settled in Denver, in the hope that the mountain air would prove beneficial to the tuberculosis with which she had been diagnosed. They remained in Denver for several years, with Webb receiving his M.D. degree from the University of Denver in 1896 and subsequently working in private practice.

Tuberculosis research Webb's wife finally succumbed to her tuberculosis, dying in 1903, and he himself suffered a near-fatal bout of sepsis leading him to return to Europe to further his medical education. He spent two years pursuing postgraduate work, first in Vienna and later in London. In the latter, he worked in the laboratory of the pioneering British immunologist Almroth Wright. When he returned to the United States in 1907, he opened a specialized practice limited to the research and treatment of tuberculosis. In 1924, Webb founded the Colorado Foundation for Research in Tuberculosis, which was renamed in his honor following his death. Webb died of a heart attack at his home in Colorado Springs on January 27, 1948.