Henry S. Kaplan 1918-1984 2739
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Obituary OBITUARY Henry S. Kaplan 1918-1984 Dr. Henry S. Kaplan died on February 4,1984, at the age of Charles F. Kettering Prize, the French Griffuel Prize, and numer 65, of cancer of the lung. A nonsmoker, he succumbed to the ous others. disease which he dedicated his life to understand and treat. His Shortly before his death, he was asked what he hoped he contributions to cancer research and therapy, spanning almost would be most remembered for. He responded: a 40-year period, are unparalleled in their importance and diver "I'd like to be remembered for my accomplishments that stand the test of time such as the work on Hodgkin's disease and sity during this era. Bom in Chicago on April 24, 1918, his interest in medicine malignant lymphomas. That is an area where there will be began at age 15 when his father died of lung cancer. He continued further improvement, but I think we contributed a graduated from the University of Chicago at age 20 and Chica foundation stone which today is leading to the cure world-wide go's Rush Medical College at age 22. By age 25, he had of hundreds of thousands of patients." "It's hard for me to know whether my work on mouse virus or completed his housestaff training at the Michael Reese Hospital and a residency in radiology at the University of Minnesota. He radiation-induced lymphomas will be remembered or not. I hap pen to think it's very interesting, but I have the feeling people held positions at Yale University and the National Cancer Institute tend to gloss over it." before being appointed as Professor and Chairman of the De "I'd like to be remembered as the co-developer of the medical partment of Radiology at Stanford University in 1948. Over the next 25 years he developed a most distinguished Department of linear accelerator for cancer treatment, which today is a standard Radiology and was a major figure in the relocation and reorien of excellence throughout the world. And for developing not just the machine, but the standards for its use." tation of Stanford School of Medicine which has resulted in its "I'd like to be remembered for my service on the National position of leadership as a research institution. In 1972, he relinquished the chairmanship of the Department of Radiology to Cancer Advisory Board in 1960 at a time when the number of become Director of the Louis D. Mayer Cancer Biology Research radiotherapists in the United States was about 120, and the Laboratory where his basic research continued to flourish to the number of physicians in radiotherapy training was only 18. To time of his death. day, as a result of these efforts, there are close to 2,000 board- No one of Henry Kaplan's important contributions does justice certified radiation therapists." "Those are the accomplishments. As for the rest, I'd like to be to the remarkable diversity of his work and career. He may be best known for being the codeveloper, with Edward Ginzton of remembered as somebody who has been basically kind and Stanford, of the first medical linear accelerator in the United deeply concerned about his patients and very humane in dealing with them." States. He discovered the first mouse virus which was respon sible for the radiation-induced leukemia-lymphoma in the C57BL He added, "I'd also like to be remembered as somebody with a reasonably mouse. He was the leader of the Stanford group whose clinical studies of Hodgkin's disease helped transform the disease from good sense of humor, with a love of art and music and literature, a predominantly fatal disorder to one in which three of four and hopefully as a good husband, a good father, and a loyal friend." patients with the illness can now be cured. He was able to recognize and utilize new developments and techniques in Henry Kaplan is survived by hs wife Leah and his children Ann biomédicalresearch to make major contributions in radiobiology, and Paul. He was a remarkable and rare human being, who will virology, culture of human lymphoma cells, and immunology. An never be forgotten by any who met him. Capable of the most author of hundreds of significant papers and chapters, his book vigorous and provocative scientific debate, he was at the same on Hodgkin's disease will always be a classic reference in the time a gentle and sensitive physician and friend. We are all field. diminished by the loss of Henry Kaplan, but none more than the Henry Kaplan was recognized and honored for his many field of cancer research and the generations of students, trainees, accomplishments. In 1969, he received the Atoms for Peace colleagues, and patients who will not have the privilege of Prize, the only physician so honored. He was the first radiologist knowing him. elected to the National Academy of Sciences. He received the Saul A. Rosenberg Order of Merit from Italy, became a Chevalier in the French Stanford University School of Medicine Legion of Honor, and was the recipient of the first General Motors Stanford, California 94305 JUNE 1984 2739 Downloaded from cancerres.aacrjournals.org on September 27, 2021. © 1984 American Association for Cancer Research. Henry S. Kaplan 1918−1984 Saul A. Rosenberg Cancer Res 1984;44:2739. 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