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Show Obituary: Melvin G. Alper, MD (1921 - 2013) It's my impression that our specialty could be characterized as lacking the large egos often seen dominating other medical fields. Characters, yes, and many, egos, less so. Perhaps it is due to the lack of seemingly simple and miraculous fixes that protect neuro-ophthalmologists from the delusion that doctors actually heal. More likely, however, is that this tone of humility has been set by the founders of our specialty, over its few generations of mentors. One of those founders, Mel Alper, passed away in February, 2013. He was a driving force in the ophthalmic medical community of the mid- Atlantic area, including Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington DC. Dr Alper, or "Mel" as he always insisted on being addressed, was one of the early pioneers of orbital surgery and the use of orbital imaging including ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Even more than his publications, his abil-ity to bring doctors together to exchange ideas inspired and encouraged many and sparked several notable careers. His was a prime example of how one's contribution to a field cannot be measured merely by the number of publications in a CV. Dr Alper was born in Baltimore in 1921, grew up in Wytheville Virginia and received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Virginia. He trained in ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania and subsequently came to Washington DC where he was on the faculty of both the Washington Hospital Center (now part of Georgetown University) and the George Washington Univer-sity Departments of Ophthalmology. He would ultimately become the chairman of the former, and acting chairman and an emeritus professor of the latter. He was a founding member of the Orbit Society, the International Neuro Ophthalmology Society and the Cogan Ophthalmic History Society. The front row of seats at the regular neuro-ophthalmology case presentations atWashington Hospital Center were predictably occupied by Drs. Alper, David Cogan, Lorenz Zimmerman and Marshall Parks - all of whom would be actively taking notes and asking questions of the presenter . That lecture series now bears Dr Alper's name and is the longest continuing neuro-ophthalmology series in the country. Here are comments from some of his colleagues: "Mel Alper, my mentor, esteemed colleague, and friend was one of the most influential people in my life. He welcomed my efforts to integrate orbital surgery into neuro-ophthalmology." - Jack Kennerdell, Pittsburgh, PA "A gentle giant."- Neil Miller, Baltimore MD "His leadership in ophthalmology was renowned in our field but his daily example was a powerful influence on me and many of those who followed." - David Berler, Washington DC Lastly, other than the concern about how our future obituaries will read, why memorialize our predecessors, some of whom many of us have never met? Although there are deep historical roots from the days when neuro-ophthalmologic problems were considered every eye doctor's concern, the speciality as an independent group is still young enough to acknowledge a relatively short lineage. We can't help but be aware of the profound influence of these men-tors, as if they are looking over our shoulder as we go about our daily clinical work. Dr Alper is survived by his wife, 2 children and 4 grandchildren. Our society owes Mel, and his family, a great debt of gratitude. Todd Goodglick Washington, D.C. E-mail: tgoodglick@gmail.com Chhabra and Golnik: J Neuro-Ophthalmol 2014; 34: e1 e1 Obituary Copyright © North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited. |
