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Ann Thorac Surg 1997;63:305-308
© 1997 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

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Presidential Address

The Heritage of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association

Cardiovascular Surgery Associates, PC, Nashville, Tennessee

	Introduction

Top Footnotes Introduction The Early Years The Middle Years Present The Future Reference

 
It has been a distinct privilege and my personal greatest honor to serve as your President for the past year. This has been a time to reflect on the many changes that have occurred in the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association and to appreciate just how new an organization it was when I became a member 30 years ago. From a modest beginning this Association has grown and matured into a medical society that exerts a dynamic impact on the field of thoracic surgery in this country. This meeting with its outstanding program can only serve as a tribute to those dedicated physicians who have made it possible. Looking back to the early years has afforded me, and I hope you as well, an appreciation of our history and traditions.

	The Early Years

Top Footnotes Introduction The Early Years The Middle Years Present The Future Reference

 

A Dream That Grew So Fast DeWitt Daughtry, MD

In his Presidential Address to this organization in 1971 in his hometown of Tampa, Florida, Dr Hawley Seiler recorded his memories of the early years of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association [1]. I have drawn extensively from that Address.

In 1950 Dr Seiler was just beginning his distinguished career in the specialty of thoracic surgery in Florida. The field was rapidly expanding beyond the treatment of tuberculosis, and many newly trained thoracic surgeons were moving into the southern states to teach and practice. As there was only one national thoracic surgical organization in the country, with a limited membership, Dr Seiler reasoned that the southern thoracic surgeons would have little opportunity to present their scientific ideas to their peers.

In 1952 Dr Seiler conveyed his views of possibly forming a new regional group of thoracic surgeons in a letter to Dr James Douglas Murphy, his former chief. Doctor Murphy, who was chairman of one of the earliest thoracic training programs at Oteen, North Carolina, was less than enthusiastic about the prospects. For some unexplained reason 1 year later Dr Murphy contacted Dr Seiler to say that he would be very interested in helping to organize such a group.

Doctor Seiler promptly contacted Dr DeWitt Daughtry of Miami, who thought it was a grand idea and agreed to help. On October 16, 1953, these three gentleman drafted an exploratory letter and sent it to 66 southern thoracic surgeons outlining the proposal for a new regional society. Forty replies were received, 38 in favor. This was deemed positive enough to hold an initial organizational meeting in conjunction with the Southern Medical Association Meeting in Atlanta on October 26, 1953. Only 7 invitees attended, but were so sure they had a good idea they all agreed to hold a second meeting the following year.

On May 4, 1954, during the American Association for Thoracic Surgery Meeting in Montreal, 38 southern thoracic surgeons decided to form a new group to be known as the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association. Among those present were both academicians and private practitioners, all respected in their fields. Doctor Murphy was elected President and Dr Seiler Secretary, the position he would hold for 15 years. Doctor John S. Harter was named Chairman of the Program Committee and Dr Paul W. Sanger was Chairman of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee. A statement was formulated to be included in the constitution that the purpose of the association would be to establish a forum for the advancement of the scientific aspects of thoracic surgery for those physicians practicing that specialty in designated southern states. The meetings were to have free and open discussion and afford an opportunity for the exchange of ideas.

The first meeting of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association was held December 5th and 6th, 1954, in Hollywood, Florida, with 54 surgeons present and 17 papers presented. Doctor Sanger was elected the new President, and the newly created office of Vice President went to Dr Paul deCamp. Doctor Seiler had the duties of Treasurer officially added to his role of Secretary. All of the founding members felt very pleased and made plans for the second scientific session to be held in December 1955 at the Greenbrier Hotel, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. A blizzard and poor attendance at that site were discouraging but not fatal. Doctor Sanger delivered the first Presidential Address and introduced the first guest speaker. The Council was established as the governing body and convened December 4, 1955. Amidst some doubts of its viability the Council decided to proceed with a third annual meeting at the Fountainbleu Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida, in 1956 and to move the time of the meeting from December back to November in anticipation of more favorable weather. One hundred thirty-five surgeons attended this meeting, 20 papers were presented, and the Association has never looked back.

Each successive meeting added to the solidity of the organization. Doctors Daughtry and Seiler performed essentially all of the site selection and administrative duties during the early years. They proposed the first change in the constitution during the 1957 meeting in New Orleans to include the state of Oklahoma, which had inadvertently been omitted from the original geographic area for membership.

By 1960 the Council felt secure enough to plan the first out-of-the-country meeting of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association in Nassau, Bahamas. By all standards it was a great success, with more than 100 members and guests attending, most with their spouses. A highlight of this meeting was the presentation of the first Osler Abbott award. Free and open discussion of scientific papers had been encouraged from the earliest days of the Association. President Edgar W. Davis of Washington, DC, agreed that some type of recognition would be appropriate for the most eloquent discussion. Doctor Robert Ellison recalls being in the audience at the American Association for Thoracic Surgery meeting in April 1960 when Dr Abbott discussed from the floor 26 consecutive papers and raised discussion to an art form. The decision was made to establish our discussion award in honor of Dr Osler Abbott. Doctor James L. (Brandy) Alexander of Savannah, Georgia, and Col Ed Smith of the US Air Force found a suitable icon at the native market in Old Town Nassau in time for presentation to the first recipient, Dr Joe Peabody. Doctor Abbott was actually quite pleased with the honor and later became president in 1969, not unexpectedly winning his own award along the way.

In 1961 the annual meeting was held in Memphis, Tennessee, and was well attended. The gavel and certificate of appreciation were first awarded to the outgoing president at this meeting and to the eight past presidents as well. The Necrology Committee was also established with Dr DeWitt Daughtry as the first chairman.

In 1962, in spite of the recent overthrow of the Cuban government by Fidel Castro, the second out-of-the-country meeting was held in Jamaica. It was described as hectic, fun-filled, and successful and marked the inauguration of the President's Mixer.

By 1964, what had started out as a small and informal group of regional thoracic surgeons had grown into a large and influential organization. A new constitution was needed and adopted. This established a senior member category and provisions for the office of President-Elect, a position strongly recommended by the presiding President, Dr Robert Ellison, who recognized the awkward position in which the incoming President may find himself as to commitment of time and energy.

Also at the 1964 meeting in Atlanta Dr Lewis Bosher announced a grant from Smith, Kline and French to establish an award to recognize the best scientific paper presented at the meeting. The first recipient was Dr Bert Glass for his paper entitled "Experimental Studies on the Reversibility of Pulmonary Hypertension." Now given annually, this has become known as the President's Award and is the Association's highest honor.

Later that same year another sought-after goal became reality. The newly formed journal, The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, agreed to begin publishing the papers from the annual meeting and immediately became a valuable bit of our heritage.

Nineteen sixty-four also marked the inauguration of an award unique to our Association: the TIKI Award. There remains some mystery and perhaps controversy concerning its origin and purpose. It is now recognized as being given for the most memorable slide used at the meeting. The first recipient was Dr Watts Webb, who deserves an additional award for keeping a slide for 32 years. Doctor Webb also had a photograph of the original TIKI, which was lost by one of the winners. He explained that TIKI is the God of Fertility, so chosen because one bad slide begets another. Interestingly, only two people have won this statue a second time: Dr Maruf Razzuk of Dallas, Texas, and Dr Francis Robicsek of Charlotte, North Carolina.

The original winning slide depicted dP/dt and the pressure-volume loop. Several members including Drs Milton Davis, Converse Pierce, Louis Boucher, and Sam Stephenson decided the slide was so bad that something had to be said. Doctor Webb is still of the opinion that it was a very good slide but just ahead of the times. The current TIKI award is quite handsome and is retained by the yearly winner. This has not lessened the inevitable protests when the winner is announced. At the suggestion of Dr Tom Ferguson, the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association will maintain a file of all future winners and as many old ones as possible.

For the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association 1964 ended on a sad note with the death of Dr James D. Murphy, our first President. He had played such a vital role in the viability of our group throughout the early years.

By 1965 the first five members were moved to senior status. Members of this group were not required to pay dues or subscribe to The Annals of Thoracic Surgery but were eligible to vote and to hold office. It has become a popular option for some but not all eligible members.

During 1965 the Council decided to establish a certificate of membership for all to display. They agreed the official seal of the Association should appear on the certificate, only to realize there was no official seal. It would take some time to correct this.

Nineteen sixty-six marked the fruition of a campaign to further enhance the status of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association. Because the membership had grown substantially and had significant input into the national medical community, the Council petitioned the Board of Governors of The American College of Surgeons for representation. This process required many months for completion, but when it was finished, Dr Hawley Seiler became our first representative at the Clinical Congress of The American College of Surgeons in 1968. As most of you are aware, Dr Bill Sasser is our current representative on that Board.

Doctor Ed Munnell was President in 1967 and the man to appoint a committee to submit ideas for an official seal. From the three finalists the Council voted to accept the one submitted by Dr Robert Ellison and reportedly drawn by the medical illustrator of his Department of Surgery, Ms Frances DeRoller. This design has served us well and allowed the membership certificates to be printed. They were finally mailed to all members in January 1970.

The 1970 meeting at the Castle Harbor Hotel in Bermuda stands out as a monument to planning and luck. The location was outstanding, the program excellent, and the weather perfect. I recall this meeting fondly as one where I seemed to know or to know of nearly everyone present. Doctor Watts Webb was President, Dr Osler Abbott, Chairman of the Council, and the inimitable Dr Jim Brooks, Secretary. These were heady times and probably not achieved to the same degree since.

For me, the early years ended in 1971 with Dr Hawley Seiler's Presidential Address, "The Early Years of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association" [1]. It remains a very good read for all members.

	The Middle Years

Top Footnotes Introduction The Early Years The Middle Years Present The Future Reference

 

If You Don't Know Where You're Going, It Doesn't Matter Which Road You Take Unknown Trucker

In the year following the Tampa meeting several of the past Presidents expressed a desire for a plan to be developed for the future direction of the Association. The size and make-up of the membership had changed considerably from the early years, and there was some honest difference of opinion as to what should be the focus of the future. President Dr Robert Cordell appointed an ad hoc committee to explore the options and make recommendations to the Council. Selected were James W. Brooks, Dennis M. Rosenberg, Edward F. Parker, Edward R. Munnell, James W. Pate, and Harold C. Urschel, Chairman. Because of illness Dr Rosenberg was replaced by Dr Bert Glass and Dr Parker by Dr William Lee. This committee decided to base its recommendations on the first survey of the membership. Five questions were asked. An incredible response resulted, with 286 responders from the total membership of 419 (70%). Due to the diligence of the Chairman, by 1973 the Committee was able to make its recommendations to the membership. The Council has used these recommendations frequently in formulating the actions that guided the Association successfully through the middle years.

There were a number of notable meetings and events that marked these middle years. The first meeting to be held in Mexico was in 1976 at the Acapulco Princess Hotel. Our room quota was unexpectedly raised from 300 to 400 when a well-known recluse vacated the top floor of the hotel. An amendment to our constitution was passed at that meeting establishing a 1-year office of Secretary-Elect to serve as an ex officio member of the Council and limiting the Secretary/Treasurer to one 4-year term.

The memorable 25th silver anniversary meeting was held in 1978 at Marco Island, Florida. A special ceremony was held to recognize founding members, past Presidents, and their ladies and widows for their many contributions. For this occasion, invitations to attend the meeting and banquet were extended to the Presidents-Elect and their wives of the other three major thoracic surgery organizations. Of special interest to the membership was the long-awaited announcement that the Scientific Program had been approved for Category I credit for continuing medical education from the American Medical Association. At the close of the banquet President Robert E. Carr inaugurated a new tradition. Cufflinks with the Association seal were presented to the president and a stick-pin to his spouse. Doctor Carr of Ft. Worth, Texas, modeled his idea from a similar award given by the Texas Surgical Association.

Of special interest to me was the title of Dr Carr's Presidential Address, "The Heritage of The Southern Thoracic Surgical Association." I envisioned a wealth of material for this talk but was disappointed to discover that no copy exists. Doctor Tom Ferguson, Editor of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, confirms that Presidential Addresses for the years 1976 through 1983 somehow were never published. This includes some heavy hitters like Dr Jim Brooks, Dr Joe Peabody, Dr Harold Urschel, and others.

One interesting proposal was made at the Council Meeting in 1978. Doctor Harold Urschel suggested that a presidential medal might be authorized similar to that used in other societies. Secretary Dr Kent Trinkle recorded in the minutes that this would be inappropriate for our Association unless the medallion was half the size of a toilet seat. As a tribute to Dr Urschel, he became the first President to wear the new medal at the meeting in San Antonio, Texas, in 1979.

The remainder of the middle years were marked by quiet progress. In 1979 the administrative functions of the organizations were entrusted to Smith, Bucklin & Associates of Chicago. Originally Mr Walter Purcell and Ms Betty Perkins were our contacts, and now it is Mr Jeff Knezovich and his associates. The membership and especially the officers owe them a debt of gratitude for tending to the myriad of details that come together to make these meetings successful. They assisted in obtaining our Charter to become a not-for-profit corporation in the state of Illinois September 22, 1981, and again in revising our constitution this year to conform with the plethora of current federal laws pertaining to nondiscrimination.

Every recent scientific meeting has been outstanding, and the list of past Presidents reads like a Who's Who in thoracic surgery. Two additional membership surveys have been obtained, one in 1992 by Dr Bill Cook pertaining to meeting attendance and the last in 1994 at the request of President-Elect Dr Fred Grover concerning the demographics of the membership. As might be expected from a computer buff, so much information was obtained from this last survey that it has yet to be digested. Did you know that of the 230 responses from 636 questionnaires, 59% of those members were in private practice? Another 30% were on the faculty of medical schools, 1.4% did only research, and 0.9% were with the Department of Veterans Affairs. These numbers will be expected to have some influence on future program committees.

	Present

Top Footnotes Introduction The Early Years The Middle Years Present The Future Reference

 
If most of you are like me, the present status of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association will be judged by this meeting in Cancun. Because you have yet to turn in your evaluation forms, the answer is not complete. However, judging from the attendance, scientific program, and amenities, I judge the health of this organization as having never been better. I give my sincere thanks and appreciation to all of you who labored to make this possible.

	The Future

Top Footnotes Introduction The Early Years The Middle Years Present The Future Reference

 

It's hard to predict anything, especially about the future Attributed to Yogi Berra

Admittedly the heritage of an organization correctly deals with the past. However, I feel some compulsion to say a few words about the future. There is a fundamental question to be asked. How can a medical society formed in a distant era survive and prosper in an atmosphere of change like today? Should it cling tenaciously to its past and be guided solely by its heritage? Should it try to become something else altogether and emulate the success of others? These concepts were addressed in Dr Grover's 1994 survey when he asked our membership (1) if they were satisfied with the meetings held the prior 5 years (223 of 230 were satisfied), (2) if they thought the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association should take a role in federal legislation (90% in favor), (3) if we should be involved with patient advocacy (95% in favor), and many, many other related questions.

One pertinent line of questions concerned whether the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association should take a role in education and training (93% in favor), and if this should include research funding (69% in favor). Your Council used this information in formulating a policy to contribute to the Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education from our general fund. I endorse these recommendations of the Council and urge each of our members to make a personal commitment to this project for the future years.

My wish for the future of this organization is that it not be drastically changed in direction or purpose. We should continue to strive to do what we are trained to do best-namely, taking care of people with illness in and of the thorax, making observations that will improve our skills, writing papers about treatment results, and presenting them to people with similar concepts of how health care should be delivered to our patients. My view is that the future of thoracic surgery is indeed bright for those willing to take on the challenge. With what I hope is a renewed appreciation of your heritage, I urge each of you to plan to contribute and participate in our bright future.

	Footnotes

Top Footnotes Introduction The Early Years The Middle Years Present The Future Reference

 
Presented at the Forty-Third Annual Meeting of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association, Cancun, Mexico, Nov 7–9, 1996.

Address reprint requests to Dr Alford, Suite 501, 4230 Harding Rd, Nashville, TN 37205.

	Reference

Top Footnotes Introduction The Early Years The Middle Years Present The Future Reference

 

1. Seiler HH. The early years of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association. Ann Thorac Surg 1972;14:113–22.

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This Article Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): William C. Alford, Jr Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Alford, W. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Alford, W. C., Jr