Jay L. Grosfeld, MD (1935–2016)

Jay L. Grosfeld, MD (1935–2016)

Jay Grosfeld was born in 1935 in New York City. He graduated from Midwood High School in Brooklyn and New York University (NYU) in New York City and received his medical degree from NYU School of Medicine in 1961. From 1961 to 1966, he was an intern and surgical resident at NYU Bellevue and University Hospitals. During that time, he was an American Cancer Society Fellow at the Bellevue Tumor Clinic and developed an early interest in clinical oncology. From 1966 to 1968, he was a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps and was stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. He then located to Columbus, Ohio, in 1968 for his 2-year Fellowship in Pediatric Surgery at the Children's Hospital at Ohio State University.

In 1970, following completion of his pediatric surgery training, he returned to New York, where he was Assistant Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Surgery at NYU. Two years later, he was asked to become Professor and Director of Pediatric Surgery at the Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine and Surgeon-in-Chief at James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis—a position he held for 33 years. In 1985, he was named Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery at the IU School of Medicine and held this position until 2003. Between 1975 and 1985, he received the teaching award for Outstanding Professor in Clinical Sciences on seven occasions, and was given the President's Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1987.

No one in the field of pediatric surgery has achieved as much as Jay Grosfeld achieved during his lifetime. He authored or co-authored 491 articles and 139 book chapters, and he also edited 11 books, including the widely read two-volume set Pediatric Surgery. In addition, in 1991, he helped develop Seminars in Pediatric Surgery, and became its Editor until his passing. In 1974, he was named the third Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Pediatric Surgery and held this position until his passing. He was on the editorial board of several peer-reviewed pediatric surgical journals, including the European Journal of Pediatric Surgery. He had been President or Chair of every important surgical society or surgical governing body in the United States, including the American Surgical Association, the American Board of Surgery, the American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA), and the Surgical Section of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). He was President of the World Federation of Associations of Pediatric Surgeons (WOFAPS). He was also Chair of the APSA Foundation and a member of its Board of Directors since 1996. In addition, he was Vice Chairman of the Residency Review Committee of the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education from 2000 to 2002, and was named First Vice President of the American College of Surgeons in 2013.

He has received the Denis Browne Gold Medal from the British Association of Pediatric Surgeons, the William E. Ladd Medal from the AAP, the Fritz Rehbein Medal from the European Pediatric Surgical Association, in addition to the Salzberg Mentorship Award from the AAP, the APSA Distinguished Service Award, and the WOFAPS Lifetime Achievement Award.

In addition to all of these professional accomplishments, he was a wonderful father to his five children and a loving husband to his beautiful wife, Margie, who was always at Jay's side no matter where he was in the world. In addition, Jay was a wonderful friend and mentor to the current generation of leaders of pediatric surgery around the world. He was always available for advice, whether professional or personal. Jay Grosfeld was a remarkable man, husband, father, surgeon, and friend. He cannot be replaced, and will be greatly missed.