Temple University School of Medicine - Skull Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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American Medical Association American Medical Womens Association Intel national Medical Women’s Association New Y'ork Academy of Sciences Philadelphia Anesthesiology Society In 195 1 the Philadelphia branch of the American Medical Women’s Association named her “Medical Woman of the Year.” In that year she was also elected deacon of the First Presbyterian Church of Germantown. In the fall of 1956 Dr. Greishcimer attended the Seventh Congress of the International Medical Womens Association in Switzerland after visiting Iceland and Scandinavia as guest ol several physiology departments. She reports that in Copenhagen, where she lectured on effects of anesthetic agents on cardiac output, it is fashionable for women to smoke cigars. Dr. Greisheimer visited Europe last summer for a convention of the same organization in London. There she met the Queen Mother and the Lord Mayor of London. Afterwards, she visited and interviewed the anesthesiology departments of universities in Paris and several Italian cities. Not surprising in view of her present incredible vitality. Dr. Greisheimer was athletic as a girl, enjoying tennis and hiking in particular. She recalls with delight one summer spent hiking the Canadian Rockies. Her current favorite avocations include cooking (and those who eat a meal at her home are noted to become frequent visitors), music, and the study of language. She has mastered French, German. Spanish. and, in preparation for her last trip to Europe, Italian. She lives at 3429 Midvale Avenue in the East Falls section of Germantown in a home that reflects refined taste and an orderly personality. Her home has welcomed many students through the years. These are the essential facts of her biography. Admirable as she may seem from these alone, they do not present the full picture, for she is far more than her accomplishments reveal. We think not of the achievements. but of a woman whose kind, encouraging words and deep desire to teach made the rough moments of medical school lighter. We think of a person who reviewed as many as sixty articles to bring to date one lecture she had given last year. As a result, when we were studying for our junior examination in Anesthesiology many of us found that Dr. Greisheimer's lectures on the subject from our sophomore course in Pharmacology remained our most valuable, accurate, and lucid source of information. We found, also, a woman with whom we could freely discuss any of our problems, for her interest in all of us was deep and sincere. Dr. Greisheimer, we do not know your secret, but, in gratitude for all that you have given us of yourself, the class of 1959 feels privileged to dedicate our yearbook to you.

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Wellesley. She commuted to Boston every afternoon, simultaneously pursuing her third year of medical school at Tufts University. In 1922 site returned to Minnesota as Assistant Professor and senior medical student. That year she was elected to A O A and graduated second in her class. She was promoted to Associate Professor and remained at Minnesota until 1935. On sabbatical leave in 1927 she studied at the Tierar lichen Hochschule in Berlin under Max Crenrer. a noted neurophysiologist, and then at University College in London under Lovatt Evans, the editor of Starling's Physiology. Dr. Greisheimer came to Philadelphia in 1935 as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Physiology at Women’s Medical College. She left in 1943 to enter clinical medicine. When Dean Parkinson learned that she was leaving Women's Medical College lie attempted to bring her to Temple. The Dean knew of her through her former students. Dean Collins, late Chairman of the Department of Pharmacology; Robert Hamilton, Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry; and Nina Anderson, formerly of the Department of Pediatrics. Dr. Parkinson asked her to postpone her decision until he had the opportunity to speak with her, but she had already decided to take a residency in anesthesiology at the University of Minnesota. Dean Parkinson made a special trip to Minneapolis, where, with admirable persuasiveness, he induced Dr. Greisheimer to return to teaching and re- search in anesthesiology at Temple. Dr. Greisheimer arrived at Temple New Year’s Day 1944 and was appointed Professor of Physiology. In addition to teaching she has served the school as advisor to women students, and she sponsored the establishment of A E I sorority. She celebrated her sixty-fifth birthday in 1956 and decided to retire from full-time teaching. She is now Research Professor of Anesthesiology. Her recognition as an excellent teacher is equalled by her acclaim as an author. She has to her credit about one hundred thirty publications, primarily-dealing with physiology and anesthesiology. Her textbook, Physiology and Anatomy,” is a standard text in many nursing schools. Its seventh edition appeared in 1955. Dr. Greisheimer is continually revising and improving it. She is a member of many organizations—too numerous to mention more than a few. These include: Sigma Xi—University of Chicago- 1916 A Ii I—University of Minnesota—1918 Phi Beta Kappa, alumna member—Ohio University -1930 Sigma Della Epsilon—graduate society for women in science Iota Epsilon Pi—graduate chemistry society American Association for the Advancement of Science American Association of University Professors American Physiology' Society 6

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To study medicine fs a, privilege. , To have attended so excellent a school a$ ours, and to haveybeen students of the distinguished and devoted teachers on the faculty in our four years at Temple Medical School is an additional bounty. We are fortunate in having heed' among the first to benefit from the use of our modern medical center. We are fortunate not to have missed the instruction of such talented physicians and fine persons, as Dr. Esther Grcishcimer, Dr. Edward Chambcrljain, Dr. Richard Kern, and Dr. John Kolmer whose retirement came soon after we passed under their tutelage, and Dr. Dean Collins and Dr. Edwin Gaultj who died shortly after our class heard their lectures.: We are indebted to many for our good fortune. What more valuable gift can a teacher offer than the knowledge he has spent his life acquiring? Mow can we repay Dean Parkinson for devoting a lifetime of energy to; shaping the well-equipped, well-staffed institution Temple Medical School is today? Our debt will not be easily repaid. Thanks! to the generosity of the faculty and benefactors of rein pie Medical School we are entitled to go forth and practice medicine with confidence. Lack of. confidence will hinder our success, as will an excess of it. We-must never doubt our jx wer to do good, but we must not allow smugness to interfere with our aim to improve. If we are to prove worthy of our teachers and our school, our studies in medicine must end only when our lives end. However, our unceasing obligation td seek knowledge ought not be regarded as an objectionable burden. for with it come reward to which we would otherwise not be entitled. The greatest of our rewards is the ability to promote health and happiness in others. Those who £eek material wealth as the greatest reward of a physician will find only frustration. They will envy tfcqse who are wealthier; they will resent the government that taxes them; they will despise those too poor to p y them; they will not share the good reputation - 01 their more generous colleagues; and, alx ve all, they will never know the great joy in giving. The physician whose joy is in seeing patients restored to health and happiness will never lack rewards. Furthermore, if avarice ever deprives the poor and unfortunate of their right to medical care, socialization will deprive us of our right to practice as we choose. Let us give because we wish to give—not because we are compelled to. Only by giving can we repay our debt. Many of us will teach at some time and so repay our teachers. And may we always be willing to offer our support to Temple Medical School in every way. Above all, by giving our patients the best medical care of which we are capable we can each be a credit to Temple's name. If we do not forget that we have been privileged to attend Temple University and that we are indebted to its faculty, 1 am certain that success will attend our careers. 1 offer my thanks to our teachers and best wishes to all of my classmates. Ira Joel Abramson