Origin of the annual symposium on the biology of skin.

W e celebrate the ¢ftieth anniversary of an event that helped to change descriptive, morphologic dermatology into the experimental, investigative discipline that is so evident in the high-quality scienti¢c papers we are privileged to hear today. These symposia were the creation of a single, singular man, William Montagna, an extraordinary scholar, teacher, and scientist, whose life passion was skin, arguably the most fascinating organ of the body. He was not a dermatologist as many suppose but a Ph.D. in biology whose far-ranging studies of mammalian skin brought him the honor of being elected President of the Society of Investigative Dermatology, previously restricted to M.D.s. He came upon the scene in mid-century, a watershed time in biomedical science, corresponding to the founding of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. This epochal time also marked the end of a long period that I have called paleodermatology, dominated by European masters mainly interested in classi¢cation and clinical descriptions of dermatologic diseases. Mid-century, about 10 y after the founding of the Society of Investigative Dermatology, marked the beginning of neodermatology, based on Galilean principles of experimental science, requiring evidentiary proof, replacing the ponti¢cal pronouncements of the professoriate. Bill Montagna came to this country at age 13 from Calabria, Italy, malnourished, skinny, and half-starved, part of a huge wave of desperately poor immigrants seeking a better life. He did not have a word of English, a language in which he later became a master of literary style and grandiose prose. Through talent and hard work he became in early adulthood an associate professor of biology at Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island. In those days, the term biology encompassed a great range of subjects, relating to all living things, whose practitioners were generally known as natural philosophers. Biologists could roam anywhere and Montagna did just that. His main interests were anatomy, ornithology, botany, and zoology, in all of which he had extensive knowledge, which spilled out of him so generously and spontaneously that he was widely regarded as a genius. To take a walk in the woods with Montagna was a fantastic, delightful experience. He could identify every bird within a half-mile merely by watching its movements. Every few feet he spotted an interesting plant that he could instantly name by its Latin genus and species. He saw and appreciated the majestic beauty of all living things. It was in the ¢eld of anatomy that he reached lofty heights, bringing him international fame but very little money. His salary at Brown was $4000 annually, a sum that was supposed to enable him to raise four children! Here too his choice was exemplary, taking the vows of poverty in order to pursue his scienti¢c passions. His ¢rst connection with medicine was in teaching cat anatomy to medical students. His early descriptions of the hair cycle in murine skin are masterpieces of clarity, beauty, and penetrating observations, matching the great observations of his Italian forebears ^ Malpighi, Corti, Golgi, Scarpa, and others. Later, Montagna’s uncontrollable curiosity expanded into disquisitions on philosophy, music, and poetry; he even wrote a book on anthropology! His immense knowledge on so many subjects would, in former times, have earned him the sobriquet of a ‘‘polymath’’, a term applied to formidable scholarly minds, like a Plutarch or a Luther. The story of Montagna’s liaison with the dermatologic community is illustrative of his capacity to exert great in£uence in ¢elds beyond his own expertise. He was a great proponent of interdisciplinary research. His lectures at Brown University on ornithology and anatomy were extremely popular, always oversubscribed by captivated students. Bill was an inspiring lecturer, who could simultaneously educate and entertain, using theatrical gifts descended from Italian grand opera. His hands were always in dramatic motion accompanied by facial expressions that re£ected his deep love of learning and his joy in sharing that passion with his students. Love of gaining and sharing knowledge is of course the secret of all great teaching. He was superbly eloquent and a joy to listen to. The only way not to be aiected by his enthusiastic sermons was to fall asleep, which his full-throated, stentorian oratory completely prevented. To describe the wonders of skin he thought that the term ‘‘perfect’’ was an understatement, requiring upgrading to the latinized term ‘‘plu-perfect’’. As a good showman he eiusively quoted timeless Latin aphorisms to show his direct descent from the Roman classicists. He thought that modesty was hypocritical pretension and never allowed it to inhibit his theatrical performances. When skin became his dominant interest, news of his dramatic lectures began to diiuse into the surrounding dermatologic community. A prominent dermatologist, Dr. Walter Lobitz, at the nearby Hitchcock Clinic in New Hampshire, soon began regularly putting in an appearance, spreading the word to east-coast dermatologists that a powerful educational force was elevating the study of skin to majestic new heights. A steady stream of research papers awakened dermatologists to new opportunities in the study of living anatomy. An informal liaison soon developed among young east-coast dermatology investigators and the Brown School, led by Montagna and Herman Chase. This was the crucible in which the Biology of the Skin Symposium was forged. A few words about the ¢rst symposium in Providence will show how much things have changed, from pauperism to plushness.We stayed at the University Club at BrownUniversity, at the handsome fee of $4.00 per night. A steak dinner, including one large pitcher of bathroom gin per table of six, cost $3.50. Bill supplied lush applies and lunch without cost to the participants who were thrilled to be founding members of these lively symposia, Reprint requests to: Albert M. Kligman, University of Pennsylvania Department of Dermatology, 226 Clinical Research Building, 415 Curie Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104. Email: 1Kligman@mail.med.upenn.edu Manuscript accepted for publication July 9, 2002