| Abstract: |
Fred Plum, MD (1924-2010) died on June 11 at 86 years of age after a long illness that cruelly robbed him of two of his most striking assets: first, expressive language (primary progressive aphasia) and then his prodigious intellect. He was, in his time, one of the world's most important neurologists and certainly one of its most colorful. Perhaps the best known involves Fred's demonstration of parietal neglect to students and house staff. He was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1924. He attended Dartmouth College and Dartmouth Medical School, then a 2-year school, and graduated from Cornell University Medical College in 1947. His first scientific article described work done as a medical student with Vincent du Vigneaud, subsequently a Nobel Laureate. After graduation, he served first as an intern and then as a neurology resident under the direction of Harold Wolff, MD, whom he eventually succeeded as Neurologist in Chief at New York Hospital. Over time his progress as a clinical investigator, an outstanding clinician, and a superb teacher led to too many honors and appointments to list here. He served as president of the American Neurological Association, the Association for Research in Nervous Mental Disease, the Harvey Society, the New York Neurological Society, and the Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism. Fred is survived by his wife Susan and 3 children from his first marriage, Michael, Carol, and Christopher. They will miss him sorely, as will those of us who were fortunate to have had contact with him and his teaching, either directly or indirectly. Those who did not know him cannot know how much they have missed. |
