Obituaries

Robert L. Grissom, MACP

Robert L. Grissom, MACP, a cardiologist and devoted educator, died on March 17, 2009 at the age of 92.

Dr. Grissom spent most of his long career at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where he arrived in 1953, after serving as an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Illinois. At Nebraska, he was an associate professor of internal medicine and vice chairman before becoming the first full-time chairman of the department of internal medicine.

Dr. Grissom later worked in the cardiology department, serving as acting head for several years before retiring from medicine in 1987. After his retirement, he continued to teach medical students and attend grand rounds and campus events. Dr. Grissom also served as president of the Nebraska chapter of the American Heart Association and the American Lung Association.

Within the College, he attained Mastership in 1997 and served as ACP Governor for the Nebraska Chapter in 1976-1980. He was the Laureate Award winner from Nebraska in 1991. A full obituary is online.

James R. Miller, FACP

James R. Miller, FACP, a former College governor and active volunteer, died on April 21, 2009 at the age of 96.

A native of Utah, Dr. Miller attended medical school at the University of Utah and Northwestern University before completing an internship at St. Luke's Hospital in Chicago. He went to the Mayo Clinic for a fellowship in internal medicine and then joined the U.S. naval reserve. During World War II, he served on hospital ships in the Pacific. After his return from the war, he joined the staff of the Salt Lake Clinic, where he served until his retirement in 1982. In retirement, Dr. Miller volunteered his skills at the 4th Street Clinic.

He became a Fellow of the College in 1952 and served as ACP Governor for Utah from 1967-1973. Dr. Miller was the Laureate Award winner from Utah in 1987.

Walter L. Henry, Jr., MACP

Walter L. Henry, Jr., MACP, a noted endocrinologist and pioneering black physician, died on April 21, 2009 at the age of 93.

A native of Philadelphia, Dr. Henry graduated from Temple University and received his medical degree from Howard University in 1941. After an internship year at Freedmen's Hospital, he joined the U.S. Army and served in combat in Italy, where he earned a Bronze Star and the Oakleaf Cluster. After the war, Dr. Henry completed his residency in internal medicine and then did a fellowship in endocrinology at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago.

In 1953, Dr. Henry joined the faculty of Howard University School of Medicine. In his long career there, he served as a professor, vice dean, head of the department of medicine and a member of the board of trustees. Dr. Henry also served as chief of medicine at Freedmen's Hospital and chief of endocrinology at Howard University Hospital, in addition to practicing at the VA hospital and D.C. General Hospital.

He was particularly known for his work in the field of diabetes and he co-authored the book “Black Health Library Guide to Diabetes: Vital Health Information for African Americans.” Dr. Henry was also the first African-American member of the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Within the College, Dr. Henry served as Regent from 1974-80, one of the first African-Americans to do so. He also chaired ACP's Constitution and Bylaws Committee from 1978-80. He was awarded Mastership in 1987, as well as the District of Columbia's John F. Maher Memorial Laureate Award in 1994. In 1997, Dr. Henry received ACP's Distinguished Teacher Award. A gathering to honor Dr. Henry was covered in the November 2004 ACP Observer.