Centennial History of the American Dermatological Association—1876 to 1976

The history of dermatology at the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania

“…Upon returning to the United States, he established the first specialty clinic for dermatology in Philadelphia, founding the Dispensary for Skin Disease in 1870 (Friedman, 1955, Shelley and Crissey, 2003). In 1886, he was a founder and the first vice president, subsequently serving twice as president, of the American Dermatological Association (Szymanski, 1976). He was the author of several well-known textbooks and is remembered for his important descriptions of many conditions, including most famously the eponymous Duhring’s disease, or dermatitis herpetiformis.…”

“…Schamberg was an 1893 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. He was recognized locally and nationally, serving as President of the Philadelphia County Medical Society in 1931 and President of the American Dermatological Association in 1920 (Szymanski, 1976). In addition, Schamberg was, at different times, the chair of dermatology of three medical schools in Philadelphia: Temple, Jefferson, and the University of Pennsylvania.…”

“…Gaskill was a 1906 graduate of Jefferson Medical School and subsequently studied in Vienna (Szymanski, 1976). He was followed by Joseph V. Klauder, MD, (1923 to 1932) (Annual announcements of the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1850-1867, Annual announcements of the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1868-1970).…”

“…He was followed by Joseph V. Klauder, MD, (1923 to 1932) (Annual announcements of the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1850-1867, Annual announcements of the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1868-1970). Klauder, a syphilology expert, had trained with Hartzell (Szymanski, 1976). In 1932, the department acquired a second faculty position with the addition of Robert Gilman, MD, as Assistant Professor of Dermatology (Annual announcements of the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1850-1867, Annual announcements of the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1868-1970).…”

“…Stokes had a long and varied career, but was especially important in Philadelphia for founding the Institute for the Study of Venereal Disease in association with the University of Pennsylvania in 1936. He was a well-known national and international expert on syphilology after publishing Modern Clinical Syphilology , a work of nearly 1,200 pages (Friedman, 1955, Szymanski, 1976). Little information survives to elaborate the details of Thomas’s career at WMCP; however, she was clearly an important force in the department’s development and oversaw additional expansion (Annual announcements of the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1850-1867, Annual announcements of the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1868-1970).…”