Frank Aram Oski (June 17, 1932 – December 7, 1996) was an American pediatrician. After holding several faculty positions at medical schools, he spent several years as the chair of pediatrics at

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM) is the medical school of Johns Hopkins University, a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1893, the School of Medicine shares a campus with the Johns Hopkins Hospi ...

. He was the founder and editor of the journal ''Contemporary Pediatrics'', and he edited one of the most widely read textbooks in pediatrics.

Biography

Early life

Oski was a native of Philadelphia. When he was young, he was turned off by the personalities of physicians and instead wanted to become a sportswriter or announcer. He graduated from Swarthmore College and the

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine The Perelman School of Medicine, commonly known as Penn Med, is the medical school of the University of Pennsylvania, a private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1765, the Perelman School of Medicine is the oldest medi ...

. Oski's postgraduate training in pediatrics and hematology was completed in Boston.

Career

He returned to Penn for several years as a faculty member before becoming the chairman of pediatrics at Upstate Medical Center at the State University of New York in Syracuse. In 1985, Oski was made the chairman of pediatrics and was appointed to chair the pediatric department at

. He also served as the physician-in-chief at the Johns Hopkins Children's Medical and Surgery Center. He was a founder and editor of the journal ''Contemporary Pediatrics'' and was known as an expert in pediatric nutrition issues and blood disorders. Oski wrote 300 journal articles and 20 books, including ''The Practical Pediatrician'', a guide for parents. He also co-wrote the first textbook focused on blood disorders in newborns. He was an editor of ''Principles and Practice of Pediatrics'', a popular pediatric textbook. The fourth edition of ''Oski's Pediatrics'' was published in 2006. He held the presidency for both the Society for Pediatric Research and the

American Pediatric Society The American Pediatric Society (APS) is the first pediatric society established in North America. Created in 1888, the APS pursues a vision of an engaged, inclusive, and impactful community of pediatric thought leaders. The APS mission is to sha ...

. He was a 1972 recipient of the E. Mead Johnson Award for excellence in pediatric research.

Anti-milk

Oski was a notable proponent of the anti-milk movement in the United States.Wiley, Andrea S. (2004). ''"Drink Milk for Fitness": The Cultural Politics of Human Biological Variation and Milk Consumption in the United States''. ''

American Anthropologist ''American Anthropologist'' is the flagship journal of the American Anthropological Association (AAA), published quarterly by Wiley. The "New Series" began in 1899 under an editorial board that included Franz Boas, Daniel G. Brinton, and John W ...

'' 106 (3): 506-517. In 1977, he wrote a book called ''Don't Drink Your Milk!''. Working with pediatrician

Benjamin Spock Benjamin McLane Spock (May 2, 1903 – March 15, 1998) was an American pediatrician and left-wing political activist whose book '' Baby and Child Care'' (1946) is one of the best-selling books of the twentieth century, selling 500,000 copies ...

, he issued messages criticizing the nutritional value of cow's milk.

Later life and legacy

Oski died of prostate cancer in 1996. He had retired from Johns Hopkins the year before his death. He was survived by a wife and three children. The

American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology The American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (abbreviated ASPHO) is an American multidisciplinary professional organization dedicated to improving care in the medical disciplines of pediatric hematology and oncology. As of 2018, it had 2, ...

sponsors the Frank A. Oski Lectureship to honor his memory. Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital named its pediatric intensive care unit after Oski.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oski, Frank 1932 births 1996 deaths American pediatricians Swarthmore College alumni Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania alumni University of Pennsylvania faculty Deaths from prostate cancer Members of the National Academy of Medicine