Annual History of Medicine Paper Contest
Call for Papers
In the spring of each year, the Tulane History of Medicine Society sponsors a paper competition on the history of medicine. This year we will again host this competition which is open to all students of Tulane Medical School. Five awards are traditionally given to the best original papers written on various topics in the history of medicine, as judged by members of the Tulane faculty. The Awards are presented annually at the B. Bernard Weinstein Memorial Lecture . The awards are as follows:
The Rudolph Matas Award
- for the most outstanding paper presented on the History of Medicine
In memory of Dr. Rudolph Matas, who was born in New Orleans in 1860, and who entered the Medical College of Louisiana (now Tulane) in 1877. After being awarded a residency at Charity Hospital and working in private practice, Dr. Matas served as chairman of Surgery at Tulane from 1895-1927. Some of his surgical accomplishments include the first use of intravenous saline infusion, the invention of a catgut ring for suturing intestines, and the first use of positive pressure in thoracic surgery. So great was the influence of Dr. Matas that the world's highest honor for surgery of the heart and blood vessels is named in his honor.
The B. Bernard Weinstein Award
- for outstanding original research in the History of Medicine
Established in memory of Dr. Benjamin Bernard Weinstein, who was born in New Orleans in 1913. He received His B.S. (1933), M.D.(1937), And M.S. (1940) from Tulane University. While a medical student at Tulane, Dr. Weinstein was instrumental in the founding of the History of Medicine Society. He was one of the first physicians to develop and pursue an interest in the field of endocrinology. As an obstetrician-gynecologist, he received international recognition for his work in the areas of fertility and sterility. Dr. Weinstein passed away in 1974.
The Isaac Ivan Lemann Award
- for the most outstanding paper on the moral and ethical aspects of medicine
Established in memory of Dr. Isaac Ivan Lemann, a native New Orleanian, who graduated from Harvard in 1896 And Tulane Medical School in 1900. Dr. Lemann served in the Tulane Medical Unit In WWI , after which he joined the faculty at Tulane as a Professor of Medicine. He was a pioneer in the use of insulin, and was the faculty advisor to the History of Medicine Society.
The Willard L. Marmelzat Foundation Award
- for quality of research and writing of a paper on the History of Medicine
Established by Dr. Willard Marmelzat, a native of New Orleans and a 1944 graduate of Tulane Medical School. He delivered the 25th anniversary B. Bernard Weinstein Lecture in 1977. He currently lives in Beverly Hills, California and practices dermatology.
The Sydney Jacobs Memorial Award
-for a paper of outstanding quality on the History of Medicine.
Established In 1984 by Mrs. Bernice Jacobs in memory of her husband, the late Dr. Sydney Jacobs. Dr. Jacobs, a native of New Orleans, graduated from Tulane Medical School in 1930 and from the Trudeau School of Tuberculosis in 1937. He was a clinical professor of Medicine at Tulane and was the first full-time chairman of the Department of Medicine at Touro Infirmary. Nationally known as a pulmonary physician, Dr. Jacobs was the national president of the TB and Respiratory Disease Association, now known as the American Lung Association. President Reagan named him to the American Lung Hall of Fame in 1981 and also to the Council on Aging.
The distinction of receiving one of these awards would be an excellent asset to any student's Curriculum Vitae, and all papers are eligible for presentation at the national level as well as publication in the Louisiana State Journal of Medicine. There is also a monetary award associated with each of the awards listed above.
