History

The Buffalo Surgical Society, had its origins in the exuberant, fast-paced, and expanding days of the early 1920’s. Buffalo had a population of a little more than a half-million. There were several major hospitals in the area, including the Buffalo General, the Deaconess, Emergency, the Columbus, Our Lady of Victory, Sisters, and the Millard Fillmore.

Nineteen-twenty-three saw the ascension of Calvin Coolidge to the Presidency. This was an era characterized by practically autonomous surgical dynasties at the respective hospitals. Apparently, out of desire for more direct communication and camaraderie, the idea of a local surgical society came into being.

Julius Richter was chairman of a group of individuals known as the “committee on organization”. This committee met during the last quarter of 1923 and formulated ideas that would govern the establishment of the new society. The committee was composed of Dr. E.M. McGuire, Professor of Surgery at the University and the Buffalo General Hospital and the heir to Roswell Park’s surgical mantle; Dr. Marshall Clinton, a U.B. Associate Professor of Surgery (and a great grandson of DeWitt Clinton) Drs. Thew Wright, King, Trick, Lothrup, Lewis, Andt, and Och.

These men authorized and directed Dr. Richter to inquire of the then present societies, what their constitutions and by-laws were, so as to provide a model for the proposed group.

We have letters of inquiry to Dr. Charles G. Heyd of the New York Surgical Society for a copy of their bylaws and constitution on December 16, 1923. The same day a letter was sent to Franklin H. Martin inquiring as to the name of the Secretary of the Chicago Medical Society. The bylaws and constitution were sent from the New York Medical Society, and organization of 70 members, to Dr. Richter in January 1924. One week later, a letter arrived from Dr. Charles H. Sawyer containing the bylaws and constitution of the Chicago Medical Society which had been founded in 1900 and had revised it constitution in 1919.

On January 3, 1924, the following letter went forward to some 20 prominent Buffalo Surgeons:

“My Dear Doctor,

The expression has been voiced by a number of surgeons in our city, particularly those who are members of the American College of Surgeons, that it would be advantageous to have a local organization among them which would represent all groups in the city and tend toward unifying the men engaged in surgery as a specialty. With the formation of such an organization in view, a number of men have been canvassed, and it is encouraging to say, that all, without exception, have voiced keen enthusiasm for the project.

This letter is therefore written to enlist your support asking you to attend a subscription dinner at the Buffalo Club, Thursday, January 10, (1924) at 7:30 p.m., and thus make yourself one of the founders of the Surgeons Club of Buffalo.

Sincerely,

Julius Richter”

Another subscription dinner was held February 21, 1924, at the Buffalo Club, requesting the founders to be present to complete the organization of the Buffalo Surgical Society.

There were evidently more items for discussion, for there was a third provisional meeting held Friday, April 4, 1924, and we are privileged to have the original minutes of this meeting.

Dr. Marshall Clinton, the chairman pro tempore, called the meeting to order and called upon several of those present to voice their opinion as to the desirability of organizing a surgical society similar to those existing in other large cities of the country. The consensus of opinion was in favor of such an organization. Chairman Clinton then called upon Secretary pro tempore Dr. Thew Wright to read the proposed constitution which had been amended at the previous meetings. The constitution and bylaws were read section by section, but no additional amendments were offered and they were adopted in toto.

Nominations and Elections were called for and the following slate of officers was elected:

Dr. Marshall Clinton, President; Dr. Thew Wright, Vice-President; Dr. Julius Richter, Secretary; and Dr. Frank W. McGuire, Treasurer.

Dr. Critchlow moved that additional members invited to join the society be included among the Founders of the Society. It was moved that the constitution and by-laws be printed in a “convenient booklet with a list of the founders of the society and a copy mailed to each of the members”.

President Clinton appointed Dr. Julius Richter, a committee of one, to have designed an appropriate seal for the society. Meeting adjourned.

The seal of the Buffalo Surgical Society is an amalgamation of the coat of arms of the Barbers Guild of London, the charter of which was granted by Henry VI in 1451, and the Surgeons Guild of London founded in 1569 by King Henry VII.

The fleams or figure seven-like medieval lancets are from the first group. The green and silver background is taken from the second group. Dr. Clinton suggested the Buffalo head on the seal. The motto, Incidendo Sano, is taken from the coat of arms of a Scottish nobleman and translated means, “we cut to cure”.

During the first year many procedural and organizational questions were raised and debated.

There was a clinical meeting held at the Buffalo General Hospital, Friday, October 3, 1924, hosted by Dr. Clinton and three cases presented included a case of cleft palate, a case of cicatricial contracture of the neck with rotational graft coverage, and a case of toe amputation following failure of sympathectomy for Buerger’s disease.

The final meeting of the first year of the Buffalo Surgical Society was held at the summer home of Dr. Clinton in Rose Hill, Ontario, Canada, July 16, 1925.

The idea was raised and carried forward that a $25 prize be sponsored by the Society and given to the medical student at the then University of Buffalo who had attained the highest average during the junior and senior years in surgery.

On November 7, 1925, Dr. King discussed the program for the forthcoming year and voiced the idea of visiting other cities and clinics; thus came into being the very popular pilgrimage. The idea of local clinics and a yearly pilgrimage remained popular with the membership and visits were taken to Montreal, Boston, Cleveland, Chicago, Sayre, PA, and Philadelphia.

The idea for the Roswell Park Lectureship came in 1948 from Dr. Henry Kenwell, then President.

The growth of the Society in national prestige is a reflection of its steadfast maintenance of the Roswell Park Lectureship, and the recipient medalists constitute an elite coterie of the great figures in American surgery.

(Dr. Kurlan expresses his appreciation of the assistance of Dr. Bertram Portin and Mildred Halloran for their research into the history.)