Francis H. Straus, MD, SM,
1932-2014
January 14, 2014
Francis H. Straus, MD'57, SM'64,
professor emeritus of pathology at the University of Chicago, died at his home
at Mackinac Island, Michigan, on Wednesday, January 8, 2014. He was 81 years
old.
Dr. Straus spent his entire career,
from medical school to retirement, at the University of Chicago. He helped
train many of the leading surgical pathologists in the country. He was
nationally known for his work, together with Drs. Leslie De Groot and Edwin
Kaplan, on thyroid pathology. He also made significant contributions to the
understanding of other endocrine and urologic disorders.
Although he published two books -- Hypoparathyroidism and Essentials of Surgical
Pathology --authored 12 book chapters, and contributed to nearly 100
research papers, Dr. Straus thought of himself primarily as a teacher and a
clinician. He taught the courses in basic pathology and surgical pathology to
medical students for decades and was selected by the medical students as one of
the school's 20 best teachers 15 times in the 1970s and '80s. For three decades
he and his wife, Lorna, developed and co-taught a popular course on mammalian
anatomy and physiology for third- and fourth-year students in the College. His
philosophy of life, he wrote in a letter to the alumni association, was to help
society "by being creative and precise in my practice and teaching."
Straus's colleagues consistently
praised his professional skills and treasured his friendship. "He was an
outstanding pathologist, a valued colleague, a
wonderful friend and the kindest and most thoughtful person," said
endocrine surgeon Edwin Kaplan, MD, professor of surgery at the University.
"He played an important role in defining the pathogenesis of several
endocrine diseases. One of our papers on papillary thyroid cancer, for example,
has been cited nearly 900 times."
"Francis was an excellent
teacher, thorough and encouraging with the students, as well as a valued member
of the thyroid clinical care and research teams," said endocrinologist
Leslie DeGroot, MD, professor emeritus of medicine.
"I worked with him for 35 years and he was always available to help with
the research or to review pathology specimens. No matter what time, day or
night, he did his job with kindness and thoughtfulness."
Francis Howe Straus II was born in
Chicago on March 16, 1932. He graduated from the Francis W. Parker High School
in 1949 and from Harvard University in 1953. He completed medical school at the
University of Chicago in 1957, followed by an internship, United States Public
Health Fellowship, and residency at the University of Chicago Hospitals and
Clinics. In 1963, while serving as the chief resident in pathology, he was
appointed an instructor in pathology. He was promoted to assistant professor in
1965, associate professor in 1971 and professor in 1978.
Throughout his career, Dr. Straus
took on many additional professional roles. He served as president and on the
board of directors for the Chicago unit and the Illinois division of the American
Cancer Society, for which he was honored with the 2006 St. George Medal, the
society's highest distinction for volunteer service. He also lectured widely on
endocrine and surgical pathology.
He was active in the University's
Medical Staff Organization, serving as its vice president from 1977 to 2001 and
as associate director for surgical pathology from 1977 to 2003. He was a member
and, for one year, chairman of the medical school admissions committee. He also
was a key player on many hospital quality-assurance and laboratory-services
committees.
Dr. Straus also had strong
interests outside of medicine, including travel, art, architecture, history,
classical music and gardening. He was chairman of the faculty advisory
committee to the University's Smart Gallery of Art from 1972 to 1984 and a
member of the gallery's board from 1984 to 1988.
He also was devoted to his family,
which had multi-generational connections to the University of Chicago, medicine
and biology. His father was a surgeon and his mother graduated from the
University's former joint medical program with Rush Hospital in 1926. In 1955,
while in medical school, Straus married Lorna Puttkammer, daughter of a
University of Chicago Law School dean and professor. While he completed his MD
and residency, she began work on her master's and doctoral degrees and is now a
professor emerita in organismal biology and anatomy. She also served as dean of
students in the College, dean of admissions, and University marshal.
Francis Straus is survived by his
wife; their four children: Francis III, a senior member of the legislative
staff for the Illinois Speaker of the House; Helen, SB'86, MD'90, an emergency
department physician at Cook County's Stroger
Hospital; Christopher, AB'88, MD'92, an associate professor of radiology at the
University of Chicago; and Michael, a physician assistant in Lansing, Michigan;
and two grandchildren.
A memorial service is being
planned. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to the Eleanor Humphreys
Visiting Professorship Fund, care of the University of Chicago Department of
Pathology, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, Room AMB S-329 (MC 3083), Chicago,
Illinois 60637.
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