Medical School Professor Gets New Endowed Chair

The Medical School has appointed the chief of hematology at the Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Hospital to a newly created endowed chair.

Dr. Stephen H. Robinson '54 will be the first George C. Reisman Professor of Medicine, the Med School announced last month. A graduate of the Med School, Robinson has taught there since 1965 and been clinical director of the department of medicine at Beth Israel since 1981.

The chair was endowed in 1985, with a gift of more than $1.25 million from Boston businessman George C. Reisman. Very little is known about the donor, said Med School spokesman Lillian F. Blacker. "He has remained very shy of public attention," she said.

The terms of the chair stipulate that the professorship be held by a member of the Medical School faculty located at Beth Israel, Blacker said. Robinson already has tenure at the school.

Robinson's position as chief of hematology was an important factor in his selection, Blacker said.

"Dr. Robinson is an expert in hematology, and he's a good guy." said Beth Israel Director Mitchell T. Rabkin '51, a professor of medicine.

Robinson's research focusses primarily on themanufacture of blood elements by bone marrow, hesaid. He said he is interested in the bloodabnormalities connected with leukemia and theirpotential therapeutic applications.

Joining the roughly 10 Beth Israel doctorscurrently holding endowed chairs at the MedicalSchool will provide Robinson with a measure offinancial security, he said.

"In academic medicine, income comes from avariety of sources including grants and patients'fees. [Because] a substantial fraction of mysalary can now be drawn from the fund establishedby the benefactor's donation, it makes my income alittle more secure," Robinson said.

"I view the chair as a recognition of myefforts in the lab and in teaching, [so] I willcontinue to do the same things I've been doing,"Robinson said