Editor-in-Chiefs Emeriti

Max A. Goldstein (1870-1941) (EIC: 1896-1941)

Dr. Max A. Goldstein was the founder and first editor-in-chief of The Laryngoscope from 1896 until his death in 1941. He was born in St. Louis, MO in 1870, and received his medical degree from the Missouri Medical College, later known as Washington University in St. Louis. He pursued specialty training throughout Europe and studied otology in Vienna, Austria under the mentorship of Dr. Adam Politzer. In 1894, he returned to St. Louis where he strongly advocated for the implementation of specialized education for deaf children. In 1914, he founded the Central Institute for the Deaf (CID) whose robust research and professional education programs were transferred to the Department of Otolaryngology at Washington University in 2003. Dr. Goldstein was the recipient of numerous awards including the Triological Society Gold Medal and the prestigious St. Louis Award for his great contributions to humanity. After his death, The Laryngoscope was maintained by Dr. Goldstein’s widow Leonore, and his nurse Pearl Lutz until 1942 when it was passed on to the fourth Chairman of Otolaryngology at Washington University in St. Louis.

Theodore E. Walsh (1900-1971) (EIC: 1942-1967)

In 1942, Dr. Theodore E. Walsh became editor-in-chief of The Laryngoscope, just two years after his appointment as Head of the Department of Otolaryngology at Washington University. He was born in Kolkata, India and received his training at Cambridge University and St. Thomas’s Hospital Medical School in London in 1925. He served as a medical officer on a British vessel until 1928 when he came to the United States. He then studied under Dr. Julius Lempert, who developed the one-step fenestration operation in 1938 for the treatment of otosclerosis. Dr. Walsh made substantial contributions to the field of otology. He helped to popularize “mobilization of the stapes” for otosclerosis, and collaborated with Dr. S. Richard Silverman, Director of the Central Institute for the Deaf, and Dr. Hallowell Davis, Director Emeritus, to design and develop devices for the hearing impaired. Dr. Walsh stepped away from his position as Head of the Department in 1966 as Dr. Joseph Ogura assumed leadership of Otolaryngology at Washington University. In keeping with tradition, The Laryngoscope stayed in St. Louis and Dr. Ogura became owner and editor in 1967.

Joseph H. Ogura (1915-1983) (EIC: 1967-1983)

Dr. Joseph H. Ogura received his medical degree in his home state, from the University of California in 1941. He pursued residency training in Pathology and Medicine and graduated from the University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine in 1945. He went on to complete an Otolaryngology residency at Barnes Hospital & McMillan Hospital in 1948 where he stayed on as faculty and ultimately became Head of the Department of Otolaryngology at Washington University from 1966 until his death in 1983. During his career, Dr. Ogura received numerous accolades including all three awards granted by the American Laryngological Association. He is one of only three physicians that have ever won the Casselberry Award, the James Newcombe Award and the DeRoalds Gold Medal from the association. He was a prominent researcher and a pioneer in the field of head and neck surgical oncology, authoring over 300 articles and 20 books. He was regularly acknowledged at scientific meetings for his contributions and the development of several surgical techniques for laryngeal preservation. He was a member of over 30 professional societies and was president of the American Society for Head and Neck Surgery, the American Laryngological Association, the Triological Society, and the Society of Academic Chairmen of Otolaryngology. In 1972, Dr. Ogura was appointed to the National Cancer Advisory Board by President Nixon and he was elected to the Royal Society of Medicine in 1980. His legacy is remembered by way of the prestigious annual Ogura Head and Neck Lectureship, established in 1977. After Dr. Ogura’s death in 1983, his wife Ruth Ogura, sold The Laryngoscope to the Triological Society and Dr. Spector and Dr. Thawley were appointed as co-editors.

Stanley E. Thawley (1943-2019) (Co-EIC: 1983-1994)

Dr. Stanley E. Thawley received his medical degree from the University of Texas, Galveston, in 1967. He served in the United States Air Force for two years before moving to St. Louis in 1971, where he completed otolaryngology residency training at Washington University. In 1975, he joined the Washington University faculty, where he remained throughout his career becoming Professor Emeritus in 2017. Dr. Thawley was well published and his research interests included head and neck cancer, endoscopic sinus surgery, and management of adult sleep apnea. He directed the sinus and allergy program at Washington University and served as an American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy council member and Director of the AAOA Residency Training and Fellowship Committee. Dr. Thawley was passionate about the care of veterans and was appointed as Chief of Otolaryngology at the John Cochran Veterans Affairs Medical Center in St. Louis, as well as the Chairman of VA Human Research Studies. He was active in his community and traveled long distances for over thirty years to provide free care to patients in rural Missouri. In his obituary, it was stated that “the days spent at those clinics were his favorite days”.

Gershon J. Spector (Co-EIC: 1983-1994)

Dr. Gershon J. Spector was born in Poland in 1937. He attended Johns Hopkins University and received his medical degree from the University of Maryland in 1964. He completed general surgery internships at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston and Sinai Hospital in Baltimore before completing an otolaryngology residency at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in 1969. He served in the United States military as Chief of Otolaryngology in Atlanta, Georgia for two years before moving to St. Louis. He has since served as Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at Washington University from 1971 to 2015, and currently holds the title of Professor Emeritus. In addition to The Laryngoscope, Dr. Spector has served on editorial boards for the Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, and the International Journal of Skull Base Surgery. He has received a number of honors and awards throughout his career for both service and research. Dr. Spector is well published with over 200 journal publications and over 30 book chapters.

Byron J. Bailey (EIC: 1994-2003)

Ninety-eight years after its inaugural edition, The Laryngoscope departed from the St. Louis tradition as Dr. Byron J. Bailey was appointed as the first editor-in-chief outside of Washington University. Dr. Bailey earned his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1959. He completed an otolaryngology residency in 1964 at the University of California – Los Angeles, and subsequently became head of the Department of Otolaryngology at the Harbor General Hospital in Torrance, California. In 1968, he moved to Galveston, Texas where he founded the modern-day Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Texas Medical Branch. He became editor of The Laryngoscope in 1994 and two years into his editorship, he encouraged the Triological Society to partner with journal publisher Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. This new partnership allowed the journal to deliver electronic content and to reach a broader international audience. Dr. Bailey is well published with over 200 peer-reviewed articles and is well known for authoring and editing several books. He has served on study sections for the NIH and provided guidance for the Food and Drug Administration’s Bureau of Medical Devices. He has held presidencies for several prominent organizations in the field and has received a number of accolades including the Triological Society Gold Medal, the Presidential Citation, the Distinguished Award for Humanitarian Efforts from the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and a special commendation from the Texas State Legislature for humanitarian efforts in Vietnam and Cuba. After his departure from the Department of Otolaryngology at UTMB, he was appointed Chair Emeritus, and the Byron Bailey Surgical Society was created in his honor.

Jonas T. Johnson (EIC: 2003-2011)

Dr. Jonas T. Johnson became editor in 2003. He received his undergraduate education at Dartmouth College and earned his medical degree from SUNY Upstate Medical Center in 1972. He completed two years of general surgery residency training at the Medical College of Virginia before returning to SUNY Upstate to complete an otolaryngology residency in 1977. Dr. Johnson is currently Professor and Dr. Eugene N. Myers Chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He holds joint professorships in the Departments of Radiation Oncology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and Communication Science and Disorders at the University of Pittsburgh. He is a prominent researcher in the field of head and neck surgical oncology and participates in scientific and fiscal oversight for the NCI funded SPORE grant at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Johnson has served as president of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, the American Head and Neck Society, and the Triological Society. While Dr. Johnson was editor-in-chief, The Laryngoscope began accepting electronic manuscript submissions, boosting total number of submissions from the United States and abroad. During that time, Wiley-Blackwell publishing assumed publication of the Journal and readership has continued to grow since.

Michael G. Stewart (EIC: 2011-2019)

In 2011, Dr. Michael G. Stewart became the ninth editor-in-chief of The Laryngoscope. Dr. Stewart received his undergraduate education at Vanderbilt University, and his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed an otolaryngology residency at Baylor College of Medicine, and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Texas, School of Public Health. After an Associate Professorship at Baylor, Dr. Stewart went on to serve as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology at Weill Cornell Medical College where he is also Vice Dean of the College. Dr. Stewart has published broadly and has received funding from The National Institutes of Health and the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality, among others. He has authored two books, and over 100 peer reviewed articles. In addition to The Laryngoscope, he has served on editorial boards for several other prominent journals in the field. He has held presidencies on the American Board of Otolaryngology’s Board of Directors, the Society of University Otolaryngologists, and the Association of Academic Departments of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Stewart has received several awards and honors including the Fulbright and Jaworski Faculty Excellence Award (2001), two-time recipient of the Distinguished Service Award (2004 and 2012), Houston Distinguished Surgeon Award from the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses (2005), the Presidential Citation (2010), and he is consistently listed in Best Doctors in America and Best Doctors in New York.

Thank you to the authors of this piece, Ricardo Ramirez, MD and Richard Chole, MD, PhD.