Robert Arthur Chase (born January 6, 1923) is an American surgeon, researcher and educator. He is considered to be a pioneer in the field of surgery of the hand and of plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Early life and education

Robert A. Chase obtained a Bachelor of Science from the

University of New Hampshire The University of New Hampshire (UNH) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Durham, New Hampshire. It was founded and incorporated in 1866 as a land grant college in Hanover in connection with Dartmouth College, mo ...

in 1945. Due to war-time acceleration, he was able to earn an M.D. from

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

in 1947.

Early career

After military service in the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

during World War II, residency training in surgery at

, and plastic and reconstructive surgery at the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

, Chase joined the faculty at Yale University to establish Yale's first

plastic surgery Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes craniofa ...

section. In 1963, he was appointed Professor and Chairman of Surgery at the

Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford University School of Medicine is the medical school of Stanford University and is located in Stanford, California. It traces its roots to the Medical Department of the University of the Pacific, founded in San Francisco in 1858. This ...

and was named the first Emile Holman Professor of Surgery. Upon his appointment, Dr. Chase was instrumental in the creation and foundation of an integrated general and plastic surgery program at Stanford. This program led to many schools around the nation adopting a similar model, as well as the creation of the Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Division at Stanford University.

Later life

In 1973, Robert A. Chase took an additional role as Acting Chairman of the Department of

Anatomy Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having its ...

at Stanford University. From 1974 to 1977, Dr. Chase served as President and Director of the

National Board of Medical Examiners The National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), founded in 1915, is a United States non-profit which develops and manages assessments of health care professionals. Known for its role in developing the United States Medical Licensing Examination (U ...

in Philadelphia. In 1977, Dr. Chase returned to surgery at Stanford University and assumed the position of Chief of the Division of Human Anatomy until 1992. In 1988, he became Professor of Surgery, Emeritus, and remained active in teaching

human anatomy The human body is the structure of a human being. It is composed of many different types of cells that together create tissues and subsequently organ systems. They ensure homeostasis and the viability of the human body. It comprises a he ...

. Dr. Chase has had a long-standing interest in visual aspects of education. He received the

Francis Gilman Blake Francis Gilman Blake (22 February 1887–1 February 1952) was a leading American immunologist. He served as dean of the Yale University School of Medicine, president of the American Association of Immunologists, and physician-in-chief of the ...

Award at Yale University and eight teaching awards at

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

. His publications include 115 papers and 35 books. He is the author of Atlas of Hand Surgery.

Personal life

Dr. Chase married his wife, Ann, and had three children, nine grandchildren, and 15 great grandchildren. His wife, Ann, died in October 2013. On February 14, 2015, he pledged an enduring relationship to Elizabeth Morgan Repplier, an earlier friend of the Chase family. He lived with her in Spruce Head, Maine and in Key Largo, Florida before moving to an assisted living facility in Grassvalley, California. They are in close touch with one another daily.

References

External links

Robert A. Chase - Legacy of a Modern Hand Surgeon

Stanford Plastic Surgery Stanford Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chase, Robert A. 1923 births Living people American plastic surgeons People from Keene, New Hampshire Stanford University School of Medicine faculty University of New Hampshire alumni Yale School of Medicine alumni United States Army personnel of World War II Members of the National Academy of Medicine