Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-23
HOOVER TO HONOR
DR.. WILLIAM WEIGH
International Celebration to
Be Held to Pay Tribute to
American Scientist.

President Hoover viii be the princi
pal speaker at an international birth
day celebration for the dean o
American medicine" DR.. william
Henry WEIGH Of the Johns Hopkin
University, who viii be 80 years oil
On April 8.
With Warrington as the focal poin
of the celebration, simultaneous cere'
monies In honor OF DIT. WEIGH will b
held on that day in London, Paris
Berlin, Leipzig, Toxic, Peking, as vel
IS In Baltimore, Cincinnati, New HaVer
and New York.
At the washington exercises, Prest-
dent Hoover viii speak at the program
that is being arranged In memoirs
Continental Hall, beginning at noon
which will be heard over national
hook-up of the National BroadcaStine
Co. It is expected that the program
viii be broadcast by short waves anc
that it may be heard by those par
ticipating in the simultaneous cere'
monies In foreign countries.
Cornell President 70 Speak.
President Livingston Farrand of Cor
nell university will deliver the open
+no address at the Washington cere-
monies. which will be witnessed by an
INVITED audience of eminent scientists
and other distinguished men and
DR. WEIGH is admired because of his
distinQuished leadership in revoiutlon-
Sing American medical education ano
because he has probably done more
than any other man to inspire AmeIl-
can public health measures, NO Ttle
could be less concerned that Dr.. Welch
S,ver the ironical fact that, eminent eS
he Is. his fame has never reached tne
Tauititudes. with no urge OF Snow
Saarship, no striving for popularity W
Ii numerous writings and notn,nss
~erSafional In the manner OF his I've
md work. DR.. WEIGH has not oeen
Nanned often In headlines OF tne
Natious press, and he remains vifCu-
aIIy unknown to millions VINO nave
benefited from his contribution. Ou.-
side Of his own profession ana ,l in ~ S's-
sc circles, 10 Is almost O marx OF ois-
finction to know why Or. Welch Is
DISTINGUISHED. ,.,.
Despite his advanced years, DR.. Welcn
A stiil active In scientific and pnnan-
fIaropic organisations. He Is presloent
0f the board of directors Of the ROCK
efeiIer Institute for Medical Research
and chairman Of the advisory counch
az the MiIbank Memorial Fund OF New
York. Besides he holds membership ~
numerous scientific societies IN MANY
countries. Orders have been conieIsso -
noon him by foreign rulers, end he has
RECEIVED honorary degrees from more
tfan 2 dozen universities and colleges.
IovsnsIy Eacwa AZ SpoEsy."
Az .YnIarx fxopkinS University, wheYe
this dean Of American medicine" mas
EauRiat for Is years, he Is lovingly known
&c "Ponsy." Today, he Il the professor
Of the history Of medicine at Johns
Hopkins, having been appointed 70 tElls
chair in 1895 upon his resignation from
the dictatorship Of the university
School Of Hygiene and Public Health,
The ftrst school Of public health IN Ine
world. when he was selected, In 1915,
% orEanize this school, he had been the
professor Of pathology for more than
80 wears In the medical faculty, Of
which he was the original member.
A unique feature Of the celebration IN
Washington has been arranged through
the cooperation Of Alfred Hutty, the
atclner. 81 Charleston, 8. c., who was
commissioned to make dry-point por-
trait Of DR.. WEIGH. The first print from
the plate VIII be given to DR.. WEIGH ct
the eersmontes here, ana there WI De
simultaneous presentation OF other
prints from the same etching to more
than 90 institutions In this country ana
abroad, with which DR.. WEIGH has been
connected as student, teacher or adj
wiser.
The chairman Of the general commit
tee In charge Of the celebration Is Dr..
Albert 4. Nicholson Of the University
Of Chicago. The executive commlttee
consists Of DR.. Simon Flexner OF the
Rockefeller Institute for Medical Re"
search, chairman; John A. Kingsbury,
New York, head Of the Milbank Memo
Howell and DR.. william O. MacCallum,
both Of John Hopkins; Or. william T.
Councilman Of Harvard, DR.. Harvey
Cushing Of the Peter Brent Brigham
Hospital, Boston; Abraham Flexner,
formerly Of the General Education
Board Of New York; Homer Folks OF
New York, John D. Rockefeller, IT,, Of
New York; Wicklilfe Rose, formerly OF
the General Education Board; DR.. Eu-
gene L. Opie Of the Henry Phipps IN
stitute, Philadelphia; Senator Fred
Vernon Kellogg, secretary Of the Ma
tional Research Council Of Washington.
United States Owes Much TO Him.
America owes much more to DR.
WEIGH than can ever be told in any
tributes" according to the statement
issued by the committee. Half q CEN
tury ago, he began his leadership in
modernizing American edicin e.
Through the reforms he has instituted
in medical study, through his re-
searches, the many hundreds of doc
tors trained by him, and the vital pub
lie health measures which he has in
spired, it Is literally true that millions
have benefited from his contribution"
DR.. WEIGH was born in Norfolk, Conn.
His father and four uncles were physie
clans. A grandfather and great-grand-
father also had been physicians.
He entered Yale at the age Of 16,
graduating in 1870, and four years later
geons In New York. The pioneering work
DR.. WEIGH began in 1877, when he
started teaching pathology at the Bel
1evue Hospital Medical College In New
York. Fresh from a study tour abroad
and familiar with the new scientific
technique which had led there to the
discovery that infectious diseases were
caused by germs, he introduced al
Bellevue the laboratory methods which
launched . new era In medical educa-
tion in this country. Under him path
ology became, In q deeper and broader
sense, the scientific study Of disease.
When the Johns Hopkins medical
school was opened In 1898, he was made
dean, holding that post until 1893 anc
continuing In the chair Of pathology
until 1917, when he resigned to assume
direction of the Johns Hopkins Schoo
Of Hygiene and Public Health in 1895
Reserves.
Served During World War.
Or. WEIGHS studies were interrupted
by the World War. He entered thu
Medical Reserves Corps of the Army II
1917 with rank of Major and after hi
discharge as colonel, was made
brigadier general in the medica