Who’s Who in Orthopedics
pediatric orthopedics, which had been kindled by Joseph Trueta and Edgar Somerville in Oxford.
He established in Edinburgh one of the most suc- cessful neonatal screening programs for congeni- tal dislocation of the hip and acquired an international reputation in the treatment of this disorder.
Perhaps as a result of his experience as one of the early ABC Traveling Fellows in 1954, he rec- ognized the importance of international contacts and exchange of ideas. He became an active member of SICOT, serving as the UK delegate for many years and as congress vice chairman of the SICOT meeting held in London in 1984. For several years after its inception, he served on the editorial board of International Orthopedics, devoting many hours to the translation of papers into English.
George will be remembered as a caring doctor, a teacher and an administrator rather than as an academic. Although he wrote little, each of his papers made a significant contribution. Orthope- dic trainees from many countries vied for the opportunity of an attachment to his unit and he was in great demand as a lecturer throughout the world. His contribution was recognized when he was elected president of the British Orthopaedic Association, holding that office for two terms.
George lived life to the full and found time for a variety of recreational interests. Although he took up skiing late, he perfected an elegant and effective style and was a popular member of the orthopedic ski club. He took great pleasure in introducing his two daughters and his grandchil- dren to the joys of sailing and field sports, which he continued to enjoy until a few weeks before his death. Hazel, whom he met when both were serving in the armed forces, was an enthusiastic partner in all his pursuits; their golden wedding would have been celebrated a few days after his death.
George Patrick Mitchell died on September 2, 1993 after a long illness borne with characteristic courage.
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John Howard MOE
1905–1988
John Moe was born on August 14, 1905, the youngest of six children of Norwegian immi- grants, on a farm not far from Grafton, North Dakota. He was first exposed to English in a single-room schoolhouse, at the age of 6 years.
After completing secondary school, he entered the University of North Dakota at Grand Forks.
He obtained his medical education at Northwestern University, Chicago, during the Depression, and received further orthopedic train- ing in Arkansas, California, and St. Paul. Min- nesota. In St. Paul, he joined Dr. Carl Chatterton, then chief of staff at Gillette Children’s Hospital, in 1933. This was the beginning of his involve- ment with Gillette Children’s Hospital, which continued throughout most of his professional career.
In 1934, Dr. Moe was appointed clinical assis- tant professor at the University of Minnesota. He became professor and director of the Division of Orthopedic Surgery in 1964 and stayed on, as chairman, when departmental status was granted in 1969.
Dr. Moe’s greatest interest and academic con- tributions were in the area of spinal deformities.
His early associations with Dr. Walter Blount, Dr. John Cobb, Dr. George Hammond, Dr. George Garceau, Dr. Claude Lambert, and many others stimulated his interest in and devotion to patients who had scoliosis. Under his direction, a scolio- sis service was established at Gillette Children’s Hospital in 1947, and this served as an early focus
for his activities. His understanding and develop- ment of the facet fusion technique, emphasis on achieving a sound arthrodesis even in the pres- ence of rigid internal fixation, refinements in the indications for and construction of the Milwaukee brace, and development of the concept of selected fusion for double curves are just a few of his noted contributions. As Paul Harrington once said: “John Moe was the father of modern-day treatment of scoliosis.” His challenging critiques, helpful advice, open-mindedness, willingness to try the new, and desire to teach and to educate were among his greatest attributes.
In 1964, after a national conference on man- agement of scoliosis at the University of Min- nesota, a society for the study and research of scoliosis was first proposed. John Moe was one of the founding members, and he was the first president of the Scoliosis Research Society when it held its initial meeting in 1966.
In 1974, Dr. Moe founded the Twin Cities Scoliosis Center, along with the John H. Moe Spine Fellowship Program, affiliated with the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the Univer- sity of Minnesota. Under his leadership, the center became a focus for tertiary spinal care, research, and education. Physicians from all over the world sought his advice and counsel and came to study with him. These accomplishments gave him the greatest pleasure. His generosity, support, promotion of others, and unselfish sharing of his substantial clinical experience were no doubt responsible for the tremendous number of arti- cles, textbooks, and research projects that emanated from the center.
John Moe received many honors throughout his productive career. He was a member of the American Orthopedic Association, and its presi- dent from 1971 through 1972, and was a member of the Canadian Orthopedic Association, the Clinical Orthopedic Society, la Société Interna- tionale de Chirurgie Orthopédique et de Trauma- tologie, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, and the American College of Surgeons, to mention a few. He held honorary memberships in many national societies worldwide, and he par- ticularly treasured his friends and colleagues in South America, where he spent much time facil- itating the development of programs in scoliosis and spinal deformity. He was a recipient of the Distinguished Award of Merit from Northwestern University, the University of North Dakota Sioux Award, and the Regents Award from the Univer- sity of Minnesota.
After his retirement from active practice in 1980, Dr. Moe took increasing comfort in the love and support of his wife, Mary Lou. On April 2, 1988, John Howard Moe died of complications of a brain tumor. In addition to his wife, he was survived by a son and a daughter, a stepson, three stepdaughters, and a sister.
A quest for excellence; open-mindedness; total dedication to his patients; a Herculean work ethic;
a never-ending sense of compassion; and most importantly, a love of mankind—these are John Moe’s greatest legacies.
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Who’s Who in Orthopedics
Giovanni Battista MONTEGGIA
1762–1815
Monteggia was born at Lake Maggiore and studied at Milan. At first he was a surgical pathol- ogist; while performing an autopsy on a woman who had died of syphilis he had the misfortune to cut his finger and infected himself with the disease. Later he became a successful general surgeon and pleased one patient so much that he was given an annuity to keep his library up-to-date.
When he became professor of surgery at Milan he published his lectures, which are remarkable for the wide acquaintance with the work of his contemporaries. He is particularly remembered for his description of a fracture dislocation of the forearm, which he described in the same year as Colles described his fracture.
