Rustin McIntosh, professor of pediatrics

Rustin McIntosh (September 29, 1894 – February 14, 1986) was an American

pediatrician Pediatrics ( also spelled ''paediatrics'' or ''pædiatrics'') is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, paediatrics covers many of their youth until the ...

. From 1930 until 1960, he was the chief of pediatrics at the Babies Hospital of

NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital The NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is a nonprofit academic medical center in New York City affiliated with two Ivy League medical schools, Cornell University and Columbia University. The hospital comprises seven distinct campuses located in the New Y ...

and the Reuben S. Carpentier Professor of Pediatrics at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

. He received the

John Howland Award The John Howland Award is the highest honor bestowed by the American Pediatric Society (APS). Named in honor of John Howland (1873–1926), the award, with its accompanying medal, is presented annually by the American Pediatric Society for "dist ...

in 1961.

Early life

McIntosh was born on September 29, 1894, in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

. He attended

Phillips Exeter Academy (not for oneself) la, Finis Origine Pendet (The End Depends Upon the Beginning) gr, Χάριτι Θεοῦ (By the Grace of God) , location = 20 Main Street , city = Exeter, New Hampshire , zipcode ...

, graduating in 1910, and

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

, receiving a bachelor's degree in 1914 and a medical degree in 1918. After graduating from medical school, he served as a lieutenant in the

Medical Corps A medical corps is generally a military branch or officer corps responsible for medical care for serving military personnel. Such officers are typically military physicians. List of medical corps The following organizations are examples of medica ...

of the

United States Marines The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through com ...

for three months until the end of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He was stationed in France and received the ''

Croix de guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

''.

Career

After being discharged from the military, McIntosh worked as a

pathology Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in ...

assistant at the

Boston City Hospital The Boston City Hospital (1864–1996), in Boston, Massachusetts, was a public hospital, located in the South End. It was "intended for the use and comfort of poor patients, to whom medical care will be provided at the expense of the city, and . ...

. Moving to New York City, he became a medical intern at

and a

pediatric Pediatrics ( also spelled ''paediatrics'' or ''pædiatrics'') is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, paediatrics covers many of their youth until the ...

intern and resident at the Babies Hospital (now

Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian (MSCH or CHONY) is a women's and children's hospital at 3959 Broadway, near West 165th Street, in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It is a part of NewYork-Pr ...

). He worked in private practice in New York from 1923 and 1927, before relocating to

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

to take up a position at the

Johns Hopkins Hospital The Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) is the teaching hospital and biomedical research facility of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, located in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. It was founded in 1889 using money from a bequest of over $7 million (1873 mo ...

under the pediatrician Edwards A. Park. In 1930, he returned to work at NewYork–Presbyterian, where he was appointed chief of pediatrics at the Babies Hospital and made a professor at

. He married

Millicent Carey McIntosh Millicent Carey McIntosh (November 30, 1898 – January 3, 2001) was an educational administrator and American feminist who led the Brearley School (1930–1947), and most prominently Barnard College (1947–1962). The first married woman to he ...

in 1932; the couple had five children. McIntosh was a pediatric generalist, but as the director of pediatrics at the

Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) is the graduate medical school of Columbia University, located at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. Founded i ...

, he assembled a department of noted pediatric subspecialists; these included

Dorothy Andersen Dorothy Hansine Andersen (May 15, 1901 – March 3, 1963) was an American physician, pediatrician, and pathologist who was the first person to identify cystic fibrosis, the first to describe the disease, and the one to name it. in 1939, she was ...

(pathology),

Hattie Alexander Hattie Elizabeth Alexander (April 5, 1901 – June 24, 1968) was an American pediatrician and microbiologist. She earned her M.D. from Johns Hopkins University in 1930 and continued her research and medical career at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospi ...

(infectious disease), William Silverman (neonatology), and John Caffey (radiology). McIntosh published numerous research articles on

congenital malformation A birth defect, also known as a congenital disorder, is an abnormal condition that is present at birth regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. The disabilities can r ...

s, chaired a council on

rheumatic fever Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammatory disease that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain. The disease typically develops two to four weeks after a streptococcal throat infection. Signs and symptoms include fever, multiple painful jo ...

, and was involved in several international congresses on

poliomyelitis Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe sym ...

. He and L. Emmett Holt, Jr. (son of

Luther Emmett Holt Luther Emmett Holt (L. Emmett Holt, March 4, 1855 – January 14, 1924) was an American pediatrician and author, noted for writing ''The Care and Feeding of Children: A Catechism for the Use of Mothers and Children's Nurses'' in 1894. Born near ...

) were the editors of select editions of the textbooks ''Holt's Diseases of Infancy and Childhood'' (10th and 11th editions, 1933 and 1940) and ''Pediatrics'' (12th and 13th editions, 1953 and 1962). In 1953–1954, he served as president of 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 ...

and in 1961, he was awarded the

, the highest honor given by the society. McIntosh retired from medical practice 1960 and became a professor emeritus at Columbia.

Death

McIntosh died on February 14, 1986, aged 91, in

Tyringham, Massachusetts Tyringham is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 427 at the 2020 census. History Founded as Housatonic Township Number 1, the land which becam ...

. A collection of his papers is held at Columbia University's Health Sciences Library.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McIntosh, Rustin 1894 births 1986 deaths American pediatricians Columbia Medical School faculty NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital physicians Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) People from Omaha, Nebraska Phillips Exeter Academy alumni Harvard Medical School alumni