Max A. Goldstein

Max Aaron Goldstein (April 19, 1870 – July 27, 1941) was best known for founding the Central Institute for the Deaf, his extensive study of ear, nose, and throat medicine, and for pioneering an "oral" approach to educating the deaf in the U.S. His parents, William and Hulda Goldstein, had immigrated to New Orleans from Germany prior his birth, but moved further inland to Missouri due to fear of the yellow fever outbreak occurring at the time in the southern United States.

Biography Max A. Goldstein was born in St. Louis on April 19, 1870. At age 22, he graduated from Missouri Medical College (now Washington University School of Medicine) then served a one-year internship at the St. Louis City Hospital. Following his internship and university education, he continued on to specialty training in otolaryngology in London Berlin, Strasbourg, and Vienna throughout 1894 and 1895.

One of Goldstein's "most formative experiences abroad" was his opportunity to work with Adam Politzer and Victor Urbantschitsch at their clinic in Vienna. It is apparent that Goldstein's work throughout his career was inspired heavily by these two individuals, as throughout the subsequent decades he would continue to return to this clinic and "share his experiences in America and continue to learn from his European colleagues." Goldstein would contribute to this ever-expanding journal until his death in 1941. By 1901 he had published eight scientific articles and presented his work on deaf education at several scientific meetings including the inaugural scientific session of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology.

In the following years, Goldstein would continue his research in otolaryngology, but deaf education would remain at the forefront of his professional life as he was "frustrated by the futility of contemporary medical treatment and the education provided to the deaf."

He donated the land from the apartment buildings to CID. A decade later, in 1951, the land was used for the building of a cutting edge clinic and fully outfitted research lab, which contained one of only two anechoic chambers in the U.S., subsequently allowing dozens of important findings fortifying CID as a modern institution.

Goldstein was not just known for his professional endeavors; he also was a man who appreciated the arts. He was a member of the Board of the St. Louis Symphony and had an expansive art collection that contained over 3,000 pieces, which he donated to CID upon his death. He also collected hundreds of Native American Relics, stamps, snuff bottles, mechanical banks, rare medical books, and glass paperweights from across the globe, which he also donated to CID, the Missouri Historical Society, and others upon his passing. In his frequent educational travels to Europe, it was noted that he frequently enjoyed fishing, going to museums, and that "his first stop in each location would be his favorite book store."

He also served as President of the American Otological Society and The Triological Society, which once presented Goldstein with a gold medal rewarding his outstanding work with the deaf. In an "interesting turn of events," Goldstein was the first Triological Society President to decline the offer of delivering the Presidential Address at the annual meeting. He simply said "We are anxious that this program will speak for itself."