Obituary
ACP recognizes former College officials who have passed.
James A. Clifton III, MD, MACP
James A. Clifton III, MD, MACP, who served as ACP president from 1977 to 1978, died Aug. 22, 2014, at the age of 90.
In 1984, the College awarded him the Alfred Stengel Award for meritorious service in his presidential role. During his career in internal medicine and gastroenterology, Dr. Clifton conducted research and served in several leadership roles.
He attended college and medical school at Vanderbilt University in Nashville and graduated from the Vanderbilt School of Medicine in 1947. After choosing internal medicine as his specialty during his residency at the University of Iowa College of Medicine, he underwent gastroenterology training at Vanderbilt and the Boston University School of Medicine.
In 1953, Dr. Clifton joined the internal medicine department of the University of Iowa College of Medicine and in 1955 was named founding chief of its gastroenterology division. The division was successful in earning research dollars, and he published on intestinal absorption, including studies on celiac disease and the treatment of cholera.
He served as chair of the internal medicine department from 1970 to 1977 before planning a new center for digestive diseases and becoming medical director of the new center in 1985. From 1985 until 1990, he guided construction of the center's endoscopic and ambulatory care facilities and inpatient units.
Dr. Clifton retired in 1991, only to return that same year to serve for 2 years as interim dean of the College of Medicine. As interim dean, he worked to develop a new medical school curriculum. In 1993, he retired once more as a professor emeritus.
A full obituary is online.
