and served in England and France during World War I, his career was in Australia. He became an important figure in the surgical scene in Mel- bourne as a practitioner, teacher and leader in the surgical community. He became a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons in 1924 and was a founding member of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 1927. His description of a method of skin traction for the treatment of frac- tures of the femur made his name well known to surgeons throughout the world. Although he became quite disabled in his later years, he retained his ability as a pianist, a talent he used to entertain his many friends. He was killed in a motor vehicle accident in 1933.
Policlinic Hospital, holding an overlapping appointment as assistant professor of surgery at Rush Medical College from 1916 to 1918. In 1916, he became professor and head of the depart- ment of orthopedic surgery at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, a position he retained until 1919. He then transferred to North- western University, where he was associate pro- fessor of orthopedic surgery from 1919 to 1921 and professor and head of the department until his retirement in 1935.
Dr. Ryerson was always interested in children’s orthopedics. For many years he was attending orthopedic surgeon at the Children’s Memorial Hospital as well as at Cook County Hospital and the Home for Destitute Crippled Children, while he continued his practice at the Policlinic Hospital.
World War I temporarily interrupted his prac- tice and teaching; he entered the service in April 1918 and was discharged as a major on August 7, 1919. While in the armed forces, he also served with the United States Public Health Service.
On his return to civilian life, in addition to his other duties, he served as orthopedic consultant at Hines Veterans Administration Hospital from 1920 to 1928, and in 1922 he became attending orthopedic surgeon at St. Luke’s Hospital (now Presbyterian–St. Luke’s), a position he held from 1922 until his retirement in 1949, when he became emeritus orthopedic surgeon.
Dr. Ryerson was elected to membership in the American Orthopedic Association in 1905 and was president of this parent association in 1925.
He was one of the founding members and presi- dent of the Chicago Orthopedic Society. When the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery was founded in 1934, he became a member, was vice president in 1935, and served on the board until 1940. In 1912, Dr. Ryerson was one of the organizers of the Clinical Orthopedic Society; and in 1914 he was president of that association, which was to become the force behind the cre- ation of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.
The American Academy of Orthopedic Sur- geons was formed in 1933 by a small group of men from the Clinical Orthopedic Society. Dr.
Ryerson was a leader among the Founders Group and was elected first president of the Academy in 1933. He was a constant friend of succeeding presidents and a welcome guest at meetings of the executive committee after his term of office had expired. Dr. Ryerson lived to see the Academy
293Who’s Who in Orthopedics
Edwin Warner RYERSON
1872–1961
Edwin Warner Ryerson was born on March 14, 1872, in New York City, where he attended school; he was graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1897. He was the house surgeon at Boston Children’s Hospital from 1897 to 1898 and then did postgraduate work in Berlin and Vienna. In 1899, he migrated west and began the practice of orthopedic surgery in Chicago.
He was always interested in teaching; his first
appointment was that of instructor in the princi-
ples of surgery at Rush Medical College, a posi-
tion he retained until 1906. From that date until
1935, his teaching career was quite active. He
became professor of orthopedic surgery at the
become the largest, most powerful, and most useful orthopedic organization in the world.
In addition to these activities, Dr. Ryerson was a member of the International Society of Ortho- pedic Surgery and Traumatology, the Institute of Medicine of Chicago, and the American College of Surgeons. He served on the board of governors of the American College of Surgeons in 1947. He wrote many articles on orthopedic subjects and is, perhaps, best remembered for the Ryerson triple arthrodesis of the ankle. For several years he edited the Yearbook of Orthopedic Surgery and
Traumatology.Perhaps Dr. Ryerson’s professional life is best epitomized by what a former associate said of him: “He was a good teacher and surgeon; he always gave his best to his patients.”
Many of the younger men in Chicago came to know Dr. Ryerson in his later life through his attendance at local meetings, including those of the Chicago Committee on Trauma, where his discussions of papers were always to the point.
He was meticulous in his choice of words and insisted that others be equally meticulous. At St.
Luke’s Hospital, his operating room was always open to the younger men, and he would take time to explain the operative procedure. His technique in the operating room was the best. Although his primary interest was orthopedics, he would often observe other types of surgery being done. Fre- quently he came into my operating room to observe the procedure and give helpful sugges- tions. Unbeknown to him, he was frequently referred to by the younger men as Uncle Ned, which indeed was a term of endearment.
In 1947, he retired from private practice to live in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with his very gra- cious wife, Adelaide, whom he married in 1904.
During the summer months, however, he still spent considerable time in and around Chicago.
Dr. Ryerson belonged to several clubs in Chicago and was an ardent and enthusiastic golfer. In his later years his interest changed from golf to daily visits to the docks, seeing the many ships in port and conversing with their captains.
At the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons in January 1961, a lapel pin was given to each of the past presidents of the Academy. It was my privilege and pleasure after this meeting to present this pin to Dr. Ryerson at his home in Fort Lauderdale.
Although he had some difficulty walking at that time, the spark in his eyes and kindly smile were
still present as he spoke of his appreciation of this token and remembrance by the Academy.
Dr. Ryerson died on February 3, 1961, at his home in Fort Lauderdale. His teachings and con- tributions to orthopedic surgery in Chicago and throughout the world will be long remembered.
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