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

Page 8 text:

DEDICATION In the fall of 1957, when the Class of 1961 was in its youngest moments of existence, we first met a gentleman who was introduced in the wee hours of an 8 o'clock Comprehensive Medicine Clinic as a specialist in diseases of the chest—Dr. Robert V. Cohen. We knew very little about him at the beginning of this first encounter, but it required only a scant few seconds to realize that we were in the presence of a most unusual man. From the very first moment he spoke, until the end of this first hour, we heard a scholarly presentation (interspersed with infectious humor) that was stimulating, informative, and at the same time, both didactic and enjoyable. As sophomores we were fortunate and delighted to have Dr. Cohen as our lecturer on chest pathology. His mere entrance into the classroom was the signal for a spontaneous roar of pleasure and approval. Our relationship deepened when as juniors we spent three weeks at the Blockley division of Philadelphia General Hospital, working in close personal contact with Dr. Cohen and getting the benefit of his excellent instruction in physical diagnosis of chest diseases. His interest in his students, his skill as an instructor, his sense of humor, his mild manner, his earnest desire to teach—anti to learn— all these have combined to influence the Class of 1961 to dedicate this yearbook to Robert V. Cohen. 4

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A yearbook must, of necessity, be the result of the integrated elforts of many personalities and talents. Photographers, copy-writers, typists, artists, publishers, business managers, printers—all these and numerous others contribute to the final product. As coordinators of this mammoth project, we followed each item from planning stage to completion with mounting anxiety. To us, this yearbook represents many hours of laborious planning, countless evenings of meticulous scheduling, scores of cajoling phone calls, tedious coaxing, pleading, and much personal anguish. Now. when at last the task has been accomplished, we cannot help but feel the ambivalence of relief mingled with regret—relief, because this monstrous volume finally has been completed—and regret, because that which had been our own personal yearbook has now become the 1961 Skull, and is no longer ours. —The Editors 3

Page 9 text:

Robert Cohen was born in Philadelphia in 1908. the only child of A. J. Cohen, M.D., a general practitioner who was then affiliated with what was to become the Phipps Institute. One year later, in 1909, his father began Eagleville Sanitarium, the first tuberculosis hospital to be established near a city, an act which at that time was considered therapeutic heresy. Dr. Cohen’s childhood, between the ages of 3 and 8. was marked by a series of illnesses and many operations for osteomyelitis, which somewhat limited his boyhood activities. After graduating from Central High School, Bob Cohen completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania in 3Vi years. Following this, he began his medical training at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine where, between his sophomore and junior years, in the summer of 1930, he served a junior internship at Eagleville. After graduation from medical school, Dr. Cohen took a two year rotating internship at Blocklcy. This was followed by one year as a pathology resident in Chicago, and then he returned to Eagleville for 1 V$ years to fill a resident vacancy. After this, Dr. Cohen studied under Wykoff for one year at the Bellevue heart clinic. It was with this experience and training behind him that in 1936 he became a part time clinical assistant in medicine at Temple Medical School where his father was also affiliated. There, with Hugo Roesler, he worked in the Medical and Heart Clinics and on the medical wards, while his weekends were spent at Eagleville, aiding his father. 5