Name 2014 Tio E Ia D C Ic O A
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N OF M NAME 2014 TIO E IA D C IC O A S L S A E X L A A M N National Association of Medical Examiners I N O I E T 2014 R A S N R APRIL, 2014 - VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2 • www.thename.org Welcome! INDEX Welcome to the second issue of the NAME Foundation Newsletter. In this is- sue, the founder of the NAME Foundation, Dr. Thomas Noguchi, is featured. Welcome 1 Tom remains very active in the National Association of Medical Examiners and the Foundation. The accompanying article about Tom provides a great Focus on Thomas deal of information about Tom, as well as the origins of the NAME Founda- T. Noguchi, M.D. 2 tion. The Foundation relies on the support of all of its members. Thank you for your continued support. For those who have not yet joined, please refer NAME Foundation to the membership criteria listed elsewhere in this Newsletter. As always, Membership and all issues of the Newsletter are available on the NAME Foundation webpage, Leadership Structure 4 which exists on the NAME website (www.thename.org). Goals of the NAME Foundation 4 Focus on Thomas T. California-Irvine). He Following his tenure as Noguchi, M.D. completed his pathology Chief, Tom continued his Obituary 5 residency at the Loma forensic pathology career Linda University School as the Attending Physi- Crossword 6 of Medicine/White Me- cian at the Department of morial Medical Center Pathology, Los Angeles in 1960 and then stayed County & University on faculty as an Assistant of Southern California Professor of Pathology (USC) Medical Center. in charge of the Autopsy During his distinguished service. He is Board- career, Dr. Noguchi has certified by the American been (and continues to Board of Pathology in be) actively involved in Thomas T. Noguchi Anatomic Pathology teaching, including roles (Tom) was born in 1927, (1960), Clinical Pathol- at many institutions of in Fukuoka City, Ja- ogy (1962), and Forensic higher learning, such as pan. He graduated from Pathology (1963). In USC, UCLA, and Loma Nippon Medical School, 1961, he began to serve Linda University. He be- Tokyo, in 1951. After as Deputy Medical Ex- came Professor of Pathol- completing a rotating aminer at the Los Ange- ogy in 1987, and since internship at the Tokyo les County Department of 1999, has been Professor University Hospital in Chief Medical Examiner- Emeritus of Forensic 1952, Tom did another Coroner’s Office, and in Pathology at USC’s Keck internship year at the 1967 was appointed as School of Medicine. Orange County General the Chief Medical Exam- During his teaching ten- Hospital (now known iner-Coroner, a position ure, he has been the re- as the University of which he held until 1982. cipient of many teaching Back to index Back to index Page 1 NAME 2014 honors, including an hon- Medical Examiners orary doctorate degree (1982), a Past President and several international of the California State visiting professorships. Coroners Association A quick check of Med- (1974), a past member of line shows Dr. Noguchi’s the Board of Governors acumen for research and of the American College publishing; he is listed of Legal Medicine, and is as having authored well currently the President of over 50 scientific manu- the World Association for scripts within the medi- Medical Law. He serves cal literature. Regarding many organizations via Dr. Noguchi’s interest in Tom’s publications, he is his active participation swabbing procedure, sug- Dr. Noguchi’s interest in probably best-known for on various committees. gesting that cotton from forensic pathology actu- his popular non-fiction Particularly of note is his the swabs had somehow ally began at a relatively New York Times Best- dedicated work for inter- occluded the airway. young age. His father seller Coroner (Simon & national relations within A subsequent autopsy was an otolaryngologist Schuster, 1983), and its both the NAME and the performed on the unfor- in Japan. One day, as a sequel, Coroner-at-Large American Academy of tunate patient revealed 12 or 13 year old boy, (Simon & Schuster, Forensic Sciences. He that there was, in fact, Tom walked into his 1985). has received numerous no cotton occluding the father’s clinic, and he awards and citations from airway, and Tom’s father Dr. Noguchi has served saw his father performing law enforcement agencies was exonerated. It was the forensic science and CPR on a patient. Appar- and medical societies, in- at this point that young law enforcement com- ently, his father had been cluding a Police Medal of Tom began to have an munities through many performing an iodine Outstanding Contribution interest in legal medi- channels during his throat swabbing (prior to to Police and Forensic cine. Tom went on to career, including mem- the days of antibiotics) Medicine by the Japanese become a physician, and bership on a number of on the patient, who had a National Police Agency eventually, in the early Boards of Editors for fo- severe sore throat, when (1999), the Imperial 1960s, as the specialty of rensic journals, and mem- the patient collapsed, Medal of Sacred Trea- forensic pathology was bership and leadership experiencing an anaphy- sure by the Emperor of in its infancy, studied within many national and lactic-type reaction. The Japan (1999), the NAME pathology, with a focused international professional patient died. The district Milton Helpern Laureate emphasis on autopsy organizations. Most attorney suspected that Award (2005), and the and forensic medicine. notably, Tom is a Past something mechanical AAFS Distinguished Fel- Asked about the most President of the National had gone wrong with the important mentors that Association of low Award (2007). Page 2 Back to index Back to index NAME 2014 he has had during his Throughout his ca- career, Tom provides the reer, Dr. Noguchi has following names: for envisioned what was basic autopsy training, eventually to become Abraham Lu at Loma the NAME Foundation. Linda University-White From the earliest days of Memorial Hospital; for the NAME organization, forensic pathology, Dr. Tom has been attending Theodore J. Curphey; for its annual meetings. In international forensic sci- fact, he is one of the few entists, Dr. Kazuo Suzuki active NAME members of Tokyo Dental College, remaining who attended a pioneer in the field of NAME’s first meeting. forensic odontology in interred at an American Forensic Science Center. Through the years, Dr. Japan. Dr. Noguchi was “concentration camp” She retired in 1986 to Noguchi has witnessed also asked about some for the Japanese during care for ailing family tremendous success of the “giants” within World War II. Despite members. Although Tom and progress within the FP. Specifically with this tragic set-back, she and Hisako were not NAME organization. regards to which of them went on to earn a Ph.D. blessed with children of Despite this, he has also younger FPs should learn in biochemistry and was their own, they did have noted, on far too many more about and attempt a well-established re- two visiting students who occasions, a continu- to emulate, Tom men- searcher and teacher at lived with them during ous “financial struggle.” tioned Milton Helpern, UCLA and USC, among high school/college in Over time, Tom came Leslie Lukash, Joe Davis other institutions. As an the 1970s, whom they to envision a day when from the United States, electron microscopist, consider their “children.” NAME would become as well as Keith Simpson she was also instrumental Each has a family of their financially stable and (UK), Frederic Thomas in pushing the incorpora- own today, one in Los sufficiently endowed (Belgium), and Klaus tion of EM into the LA Angeles, the other, an to support research and Pueschel (Germany). County Medical Examin- ENT, in Urawa, Japan. education within fo- Although many of us er’s Office new (in 1972) rensic pathology. His know about much of initial idea of establishing Tom’s professional something along the lines achievements, there’s of the NAME Founda- also a more personal side tion actually occurred in to this esteemed gentle- 1982. At that time, Dr. man. For many years, Noguchi was the NAME NAME members have Vice President, as well observed the love and as the Program Chair dedication Tom has for for the annual meeting his wife, Hisako, who ac- in Newport Beach, CA. companies her husband to It just so happened that many, if not most NAME several high-profile cases, and AAFS meetings. The including Natalie Wood, two of them met in 1953. were investigated by the Hisako attended UCLA, LA Coroners Office in but as a freshman there late 1981. The ensuing in 1941, and despite the media frenzy and all-out fact that she was born Tom and Hisako with one of their “children,” Masako Easton, attack on the office by the who lived with them during college. in Los Angeles, she was Hollywood entertainment Back to index Back to index Page 3 NAME 2014 industry resulted in a re- and Treasurer were then along with our Found- Chair, a Secretary, and a sponse by politicians that elected by the BoT. In ing Director. Please join Treasurer, who serve as resulted in the removal keeping with Tom’s the NAME Foundation the Officers of the corpo- of Dr. Noguchi from his character, humility, and Officers, BoT, and mem- ration. At the last meet- position. Despite these sense of inclusiveness, bers in thanking Dr. Tom ing of the BoT, a new work-place hardships, he politely and humbly Noguchi, for his vision in position, “Founding Di- the NAME leadership, declined to serve as Chair establishing the NAME rector,” was added to the particularly Joe Davis, of the Foundation, prefer- Foundation.