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ATA Colleagues Recall Fond Memories of Clark Sawin
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Clark Sawin, who took office as
ATA President during the 2003 Annual Meeting |
Former ATA President Clark T. Sawin was remembered by colleagues from around the country and world after his death on Aug. 11, 2004.
“Clark Sawin will always have a prominent place of his own in the history of thyroidology — one earned by his documentation of our heritage, his important clinical research contributions, and his leadership roles in the American Thyroid Association,” said Paul Ladenson, MD, ATA Acting President.
Dr. Sawin’s colleague–friends remembered him as a friend, mentor, and humanitarian.
“Clark was recognized and respected as a superb clinician, researcher, historian, writer, and teacher,” recalled Marvin Mitchell, MD. “But there was something more than his brilliance that set him apart. He possessed an innate decency and sensitivity in his relationship with others, regardless of their status or position.”
One colleague recalled how he enjoyed working with and learning from Dr. Sawin. “Working with Clark on a clinical research project was always a great learning experience because he was so meticulous and yet practical,” said Jerome Hershman, MD. “Clark’s final version of the manuscript showed his masterful prose and his avoidance of jargon. His high standards usually resulted in acceptance of the work for publication with minimal or no revision.”
Dr. Sawin was an avid chronicler of thyroid history, wrote widely on the subject, and was invited to speak about his findings around the country and world. Daniel Glinoer, MD, an ATA corresponding member and a member of the European Thyroid Association, recalled fondly of his work with Dr. Sawin on a history project.
During Dr. Sawin’s wide reading of history, he found an obscure French thesis, which he translated, and uncovered a little known story from around 1875 that described a man from the Belgian Solvay company presenting a sealed vial of pure iodine at a meeting of chemists. The iodine had been prepared by the discoverer of iodine a century before.
“Clark asked me to help him locate the vial, if still in existence,” said Dr. Glinoer, remembering that Dr. Sawin called the vial the “holy grail” of thyroid history.
Dr. Glinoer contacted a friend at the Solvay company who put him in touch with an archivist who had recently documented the company’s history. After contacting the archivist, he found out that the vial had been in existence until Solvay’s then–main offices in Charleroi, Belgium, were bombed by the Germans in World War II.
“During this long search, which took several weeks, I was regularly in contact with Clark and our expectations were high to perhaps recover this precious vial and one day display it at one of our thyroid meetings,” recalled Dr. Glinoer. “Even though we were not successful in our quest for the thyroid ‘holy grail,’ we had great fun together and, after all, it is probably ‘the quest’ more than ‘the find’ that makes life worthwhile, at least for the medieval chevaliers that Clark and I were together in this amusing joint venture.”
Dr. Glinoer added, “How Clark managed to get an eye on this long-forgotten French thesis will remain a total mystery for the generations to come! But that was Clark. As long as I live, I will keep the vivid memory of the nice person Clark was.”
Many colleagues valued the time that Dr. Sawin gave to them early in their careers, making a lasting impression as a friend, mentor, and colleague.
David Cooper, MD, still appreciates the time that Dr. Sawin spent with him when he was a second year medical student at Tufts in 1971, introducing him to endocrinology. “He permitted me to spend the summer with him, learning about laboratory techniques, clinical research, clinical endocrinology, and seeing how a truly original thinker thinks.” Dr. Cooper added, “Clark is the single person most responsible for my choosing to be an academic endocrinologist. Over the years, we remained good friends, and he continued to be a valued resource and colleague. I will miss his wit, intelligence, and his wisdom.”
Dr. Sawin also guided ATA Secretary Greg Brent, MD, in his early career. Dr. Brent reflected on finding a mentor and a gentleman-scholar in Dr. Sawin while sharing a plane ride with him on a return trip to Boston after attending an endocrine meeting.
“We had a long conversation about academic careers in endocrinology, with Clark giving me advice on the stumbling blocks to avoid,” he recalled. “I would have had an easier time if I had taken all of his advice, but at least I took some of it. There was always a warmth and sparkle in his eye that came through his erudite manner.”
Dr. Brent also reflected on fond memories of Dr. Sawin in their ATA leadership roles. “I had the privilege of regular contact with Clark the past two years on the ATA Council and during his presidency,” said Dr. Brent. “Clark always brought his keen intellect and reasoning to the issues at hand, often clarifying a point after a long discussion to bring the arguments into focus. Even as Clark became unable to fully participate in ATA business, his strong sense of fairness and respect of history and protocols guided our decisions.”
Martin Surks, MD, remembers meeting Dr. Sawin, forming a quick friendship. “Clark and I met almost 35 years ago at an American Thyroid Association Annual Meeting. We learned that we were born only two days apart and formed an instant bond that grew over the years,” he said. Their friendship was about mutual respect, trust, and also humor. “I always reminded him that, to my knowledge, only he and Benjamin Franklin received full scholarships to the Boston Latin School. Franklin did not graduate!”
Dr. Surks also recalls the times they worked together on many projects, including one in late January just before Dr. Sawin became aware of his illness. “We had many laughs, dinners, drinks, and countless telephone calls and other times together over the years,” he reflected. “He was a close friend who helped me in times of need as I tried to help him. My world is smaller without him.”
