Seymour I. Schwartz

Seymour I. Schwartz (January 22, 1928 – August 28, 2020) was the Distinguished Alumni Professor for the Department of Surgery at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. He was the founding editor-in-chief of Schwartz's Principles of Surgery, chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Rochester (1987–1998), editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (1996–2004) and president of the American College of Surgeons (1997–1998). He performed general, vascular, cardiothoracic and pediatric surgery, and was recognized for his impact on the field of liver surgery.

Schwartz authored many books on the history of surgery, including Gifted Hands: America's Most Significant Contributions to Surgery, Holystic Medicine – The Patron Saints of Medicine, and The Anatomist, The Barber-Surgeon and the King. What began initially as a hobby, led to significant accomplishments and contributions in the field of cartography. His cartographic publications include The Mapping of America, This Land is Your Land: The Geographic Evolution of the United States, Mis-Mapping of America, and Putting "America" on the Map. In 2001, he was elected to membership in the American Philosophical Society.

Early life Seymour Schwartz, M.D., F.A.C.S was born on January 22, 1928, in the Bronx, New York, New York. His father, Samuel Schwartz, MD, was a Russian Jew who emigrated to the United States at the age of four.

While at Wisconsin, he obtained a research position in the laboratory of Dr. Joseph Lalich, Professor of Pathology, investigating renal disorders. This was his introduction to scientific research. It was also during college that he met his future wife, Ruth Elaine Schwartz (née Wainer).

Ruth Schwartz, M.D., attended Wisconsin Medical School and later completed her residency training in obstetrics and gynecology (OB/Gyn) at Genesee Hospital in Rochester, New York. She served as Secretary of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and as Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Genesee Hospital. Ruth and Seymour Schwartz were married for fifty years, until her death in 1999.

Schwartz matriculated at Syracuse University College of Medicine in 1946, where he continued his research endeavors in the lab of renal physiologist and Chair of the Department of Physiology, Dr. Robert Pitts. and offered to arrange for Schwartz to transfer to the New York University School of Medicine where he could continue his studies of renal disorders with renal physiologist, Homer Smith. Schwartz joined the United States Navy, leaving Rochester as Lieutenant Junior Grade. He would serve aboard the USS Marquette AKA 95 at its port of call in the Mediterranean for 18 months. Four months prior to the completion of his assignment, he was informed that his residency position had been given to someone else. Fortunately, one week later, he was notified that the resident allocated to that position had decided to pursue a career in Obstetrics and gynaecology, and he would be allowed to return.

After an honorable discharge in 1954 at the rank of Lieutenant Senior Grade, he resumed his position as assistant resident in surgery before being promoted to Chief Resident in 1956. During his chief resident year, he became the first in the world to treat bleeding esophageal varices with intravenous vasopressin. Subsequent investigations into the drug's pharmacology and effectiveness would solidify the foundation of his experience as a surgical scientist. He graduated residency in 1957 and became double board certified in general surgery (American Board of Surgery) and thoracic surgery (Board of Thoracic Surgery).

Academic appointments He accepted his first academic appointment in 1957, where he became an Instructor of Surgery at the University of Rochester, Strong Memorial Hospital. In 1959, he founded the Surgical Residents' Conference, which persists today as an annual event incorporated in the meeting of the Society for Academic Surgeons. In 1964 he published the first english textbook on liver surgery, Surgical Diseases of the Liver.

Medical society memberships Schwartz has belonged to numerous societies and served in leadership roles in some of the most prestigious medical societies. He served as the Vice Chairman of the American Board of Surgery from 1977 to 1979. He was elected president of the Society for Clinical Surgery in 1985 and also served as councilor for the Society of University Surgeons. In 1993, he was elected president of the American Surgical Association and in 1997 had the honor of being elected the president of the American College of Surgeons, the world's largest surgical organization.

Schwartz's was named to honorary membership in a number of foreign societies, including the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Brazilian College of Surgeons, Mexican Association of General Surgery, Colombian Society of Surgery and Ecuadorian Surgical Society, among others. In 2005, he was appointed provost of American University of Antigua College of Medicine and received a medal from King Juan Carlos of Spain for contributions to surgery. He was invited to deliver over 200 guest lectures across the United States and in over 25 different countries. which has become one of the most widely read surgical textbooks in the United States and Internationally. In 1965, McGraw Hill Publishing Company approached six surgeons to write and edit a comprehensive textbook in surgery. It was intended to be the surgical complement to the company's earlier publication of Harrison's Textbook of Medicine, a leading textbook for Internal Medicine. At the time, Schwartz was known to McGraw Hill because of his recent publication, a textbook entitled, Surgical Diseases of the Liver.

The textbook was published in 1969 Schwartz remained the Editor-in-Chief for seven editions before passing this role on to F. Charles Brunicardi, M.D., FACS, the Moss Foundation Chair in Gastrointestinal and Personalized Surgery, Professor and Vice Chair Surgical Services, Chief of General Surgery, UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center, Department of Surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Among surgeons, the textbook is commonly referred to simply as "Schwartz" and is recognizable by its traditional yellow coloring.

Historian Schwartz's fascination with history has led him to research and write on a number of historical topics beginning with the 1995 publication of The French and Indian War, 1754 – 1763, and The Imperial Struggle for North America.

Honors and awards