Edgar F. Berman (August 6, 1915 - November 25, 1987) was an American surgeon and author. He is most remembered for his 1970 assertion that women were unable to hold leadership positions due to their "raging hormonal imbalances". He also implanted a plastic esophagus into a person and performed a heart transplant for a dog.

Early life and career

Berman was born in

Baltimore, Maryland 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 ...

. He attended Baltimore City College, the

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...

and the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Berman was in the

Marine Corps Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refl ...

during World War II, serving in Iwo Jima and

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

. In 1950, he implanted the first plastic

esophagus The esophagus ( American English) or oesophagus (British English; both ), non-technically known also as the food pipe or gullet, is an organ in vertebrates through which food passes, aided by peristaltic contractions, from the pharynx to ...

into a person. In 1957, he performed a

heart transplant A heart transplant, or a cardiac transplant, is a surgical transplant procedure performed on patients with end-stage heart failure or severe coronary artery disease when other medical or surgical treatments have failed. , the most common procedu ...

for a dog. Berman was the president of Medico, an organization involved with health care in developing countries, from 1959 to 1965. From 1964 to 1969 he was a confidant of, and personal physician to, Vice President

Hubert Humphrey Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. (May 27, 1911 – January 13, 1978) was an American pharmacist and politician who served as the 38th vice president of the United States from 1965 to 1969. He twice served in the United States Senate, representing Mi ...

, advising him on medical issues. In 1970, Berman controversially asserted that women were unable to hold leadership positions due to their "raging hormonal imbalances". Following the comment he was forced to resign from his post on the Democratic National Committee's Committee on National Priorities. His assertion was refuted by leaders of the women's movement, including endocrinologist Estelle Ramey. Berman self-identified as a male chauvinist and wrote the 1982 book ''The Compleat Chauvinist: A Survival Guide for the Bedeviled Male''. He considered the book to be revenge against "militant feminists", whom he referred to as "Steingreers" and "Steinzugs". In an interview with ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' that year, he said "The women all hate me, and the men all think I'm their leader."

Later life

Berman served on the board of directors of the Public Welfare Foundation for 20 years. Berman retired to a 50-acre horse farm in

Lutherville, Maryland Lutherville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 6,504. Prior to 2010 the area was part of the Lutherville-Timonium CDP. Within its borders lies the Lutherv ...

. He wrote five books and columns for ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...

''. Following a heart attack, he died on November 25, 1987, at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore.

Awards and honors

One of Johns Hopkins' first endowed professorships, the Edgar Berman Professorship in International Health, is named after Berman.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berman, Edgar 1915 births 1987 deaths United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II American surgeons Writers from Baltimore University of Maryland, College Park alumni People from Lutherville, Maryland 20th-century American physicians American military doctors 20th-century surgeons