Dn John Phillips: the unknown physician CHARLES Q. MCCLELLAND, MD N A SUNNY, WARM shortly after 9 PM, the father was May afternoon, a notified of the death of this sen- boy lies in the front ior friend and colleague, a distin- hall of his suburban guished internist. The father O thought so highly of him that he Cleveland home avidly scanning the newly arrived evening news- had hung his photograph in his paper. Vivid headlines and pho- study. tographs highlight the story of The date was May 15, 1929. an explosion and fire at a major The site of the disaster was the Cleveland medical center. He Cleveland Clinic. The boy's fa- views never-to-be-forgotten im- ther was Joseph E. McClelland, ages of fire engines with nar- MD, and the senior colleague who rowly angled rescue ladders died was John Phillips, MD, one reaching into high-arched first-, of the four founders of the Cleve- second-, and third-story win- land Clinic. The boy was me. dows, firemen removing victims via ladders and safety nets, and WHO WAS JOHN PHILLIPS ? hospital staff and patients re- ceiving first aid on the adjacent Sadly, details relating to the lawn and hospital roof. life and professional career of this remarkable physi- At about 5:30 PM the boy greets his exhausted cian are almost unknown to present members of the father, who has a story to tell. A physician at another Cleveland Clinic medical staff. I would like to rem- institution, he and many others had rushed to the edy this serious oversight in Cleveland's medical scene of the disaster to give first aid. He had worked history. closely throughout that day with a most respected Unfortunately, while we have ample records of senior colleague and mentor who had been in the Dr. Phillips' public life, the private man remains area of the explosion and fire in the morning, and elusive. One reason may be that his colleagues did who had made his exit by jumping out of a third-floor not know him very well. Of the four founders of the window into the firemen's rescue net. That evening, Cleveland Clinic, three, Drs. Crile, Bunts, and Lower, were surgeons. They had been raised in northern Ohio and went to medical school in From the Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve Cleveland, and they had practiced together for dec- University. Cleveland. ades. Dr. Phillips was an internist and a naturalized Address reprint requests to C.Q.M., 24560 Duffield Road, Beach wood, OH 44122 American citizen of Canadian birth. MARCH . APRIL 1994 CLEVELAND CLINIC JOURNAL OF MEDICINE 153 Downloaded from www.ccjm.org on October 2, 2021. For personal use only. All other uses require permission. DR. JOHN PHILLIPS • MCCLELLAND Another reason may be that Dr. Phillips did not by faculty and peers as highly intelligent, skilled, possess a flamboyant personality. The image that and responsible.7 emerges at this distance of years is that of a solid, In 1906 he was appointed to the internal medi- serious worker. At his death, Dr. Crile said he was "a cine faculty of Western Reserve University, and to man of few words and careful thinking; a serious- the position of Assistant Visiting Physician at Lake- minded, learned, and great physician. He had never side Hospital.11 At the time, Western Reserve Uni- known an interest, a diversion, a hobby outside of versity was recognized as one of the three finest his profession.'" medical schools in North America. Indeed, Flexner had chosen it as his model in curriculum, faculty, 12 EARLY YEARS and resources. In addition to his bedside teaching and inpatient On February 19, 1878, a son, John, was born to care responsibilities, Phillips also served as physician Robert and Jane McCullough Phillips in the Village in charge of the medical dispensary, and as assistant of Wainleet, adjacent to Welland, Ontario. The visiting physician on the children's ward. great-grandson of immigrants from Ulster in North- Phillips became the mentor for many bright, ern Ireland, he was reared in a farming community. promising young physicians. He worked hard, and His background instilled in him a work ethic that expected his residents to do the same. He main- lasted all his life. After attending public schools, he tained warm friendships with colleagues of all ages graduated from the Model High School and planned and ranks, from fourth-year medical students to the a career in teaching. world-famous. Charles Thwing, president of West- Phillips spent 3 years as a grade-school teacher ern Reserve University from 1908 to 1921, wrote: before matriculating at the Faculty of Medicine of "His students came to him to talk about their prob- the University of Toronto in 1898.2 In part, his lems-and medical students have problems more nu- decision to become a physician came from his close merous and deeper than most."13 relationship with his older sister, a registered nurse Like many physicians trained in internal medi- who cared for diabetic patients. cine in that period, Phillips had great interest and Although the curriculum was of 5 years' duration, skill in pediatrics.14 Dr. Edward Cushing became his only a high-school degree was required for admis- mentor, encouraging him to pursue this interest and sion to the University of Toronto, which was typical to publish his findings. In the 10 years before the of Canadian and many US medical schools at that onset of World War I and his military service, Phil- time.3 Abraham Flexner, praised it in his classic text lips published 30 scientific papers, 13 of which ad- The Flexner Report on Medical Education in The dressed pediatric subjects.15 Compared with the best United States and Canada.4 Phillips excelled in both of then-current textbooks such as Osier's Principles basic sciences and in clinical clerkships. As an and Practice of Medicine and L. Emmitt Holt's Dis- "honors" graduate, he was awarded the silver medal eases of Infancy and Childhood, Phillips' papers were by the medical faculty in 1903.5,6 as good, and often better.16"19 Writing may not have come easily to him. Thwing LAKESIDE HOSPITAL wrote: "His mind was not facile, its operations were not swift... But the matter was compact, the sugges- Phillips won a highly competitive 3-year resi- tions germane, the inductions inevitable, the lessons dency in internal medicine at Lakeside Hospital in apt, timely, pregnant with great meanings."13 Cleveland.7 This 200-bed hospital had opened in 1895, less than 10 years previously. Based on the MARRIAGE AND FAMILY Johns Hopkins Hospital model, it had already re- ceived national recognition for its excellent clinical On September 13, 1907, Phillips married Corde- and laboratory facilities.8 Phillips served on a medi- lia Sudderth, of a family that had lived in North cal service which was chaired by Dr. Charles Hoover Carolina since before the American Revolution. and which included Drs. John Lowman, Hunter She was a graduate of Oberlin College and the Nurs- Powell, Henry Upson, and Edward F. Cushing.9'10 ing School of Lakeside Hospital.20 Their only child, Photographs made during his residency show Phil- John Edward Phillips, was born the following year. lips as short, stocky, and robust. He was recognized He was to graduate from Hawken School and Yale 154 CLEVELAND CLINIC JOURNAL OF MEDICINE VOLUME 61 • NUMBER 2 Downloaded from www.ccjm.org on October 2, 2021. For personal use only. All other uses require permission. DR. JOHN PHILLIPS • MCCLELLAND University, and, following naval service in World Cleveland Academy of Medicine, one of the young- War II, he remained in Cleveland as a business est presidents in its history.25 executive.21 In these years he also provided critical leadership Dr. Phillips shared the competitive struggles of in the construction of the Dudley P. Allen Memorial many academic physicians, balancing the demands Medical Library. He was solely responsible for plan- of time for patient care, teaching, and writing ning and procuring the financial support for the against those of his family. Although his profession Cushing Reading Room, which honors three gen- was medicine, his avocation was fishing. Vacation erations of Cleveland's most distinguished medical expeditions to the family fishing camp on Lake Ti- family, including its youngest member, Dr. Harvey magami in Ontario became an annual tradition, giv- Cushing. Indeed, Phillips' ties with many of Cleve- ing him time to enjoy his family.22 land's elite families was responsible for the overall support of the new library.26 THE CLEVELAND CLINIC In 1923 he was elected to the prestigious board of regents of the American College of Physicians. He In 1919, Phillips, a newly naturalized US citizen, served on this board until his death. In 1927 he returned from his duties in the US Army Medical chaired its annual clinical session, which was held at Corps to join Drs. Crile, Bunts, and Lower in the the Cleveland Clinic. This decade also saw the or- planning and organization of the Cleveland Clinic. ganization of a number of medical subspecialties As pending chief of medicine, he resigned his full- such as the American Heart Association, the time faculty appointment at Western Reserve School American Gastroenterological Association, and the of Medicine and Lakeside Hospital.23 However, he American Association for Study of Internal Secre- did continue to teach a highly popular course on tions. Phillips joined them all, and all invited him to medical therapeutics for fourth-year medical stu- present scientific papers.27 Yet, until his death, Phil- dents at Western Reserve University.24 This provided lips remained a generalist.