1958-1959 Chapman H. Binford, USA

IAP President 1958-1959

Chapman Binford graduated from the Medical College of Virginia in 1929. In 1930 he began commissioned service in the U.S. Public Health Service, beginning as Assistant Surgeon and retiring in 1960 as Medical Director. He held many administrative positions during the following years and was an active researcher, most notably in leprosy. In particular, his experimentation led directly to the successful transmission of leprosy to animals which allowed the study of the M. leprae organism which could not be cultivated on artificial media. Considered to be one of the world’s greatest specialists in Infectious Disease, Chapman published over 100 papers, 36 book chapters, and seven books/monographs. In 1976 the classic, two-volume ‘Atlas of Pathology of Tropical and Extraordinary Diseases’ by Chapman H. Binford and Daniel H. Conner was published (see further information under Ash). As Chairman of the IAP Education Committee, he and Mrs. Binford played a pivotal role in the establishment of the highly popular ‘Short Courses’ that rescued the annual USCAP meetings. He helped Kash Mostofi in this and also in the establishment of new Divisions of the IAP, particularly the Japanese Division in 1959. From 1960 to 1965 he was Editor of the News Bulletin of the IAP. As a result of his work as liaison between the AFIP and the senate Health Subcommittee, the American Registry of Pathology (ARP) received its Congressional Charter in 1976. In 1988, the Binford-Dammin Infectious Diseases Pathology Society, a Companion Society of the IAP/USCAP was named in his honor. Chapman was known for his compassion for all people in all walks of life, concerned for their aspirations, always going the extra mile to help, never tiring, and always hopeful. ‘He made the right things happen.’ (By Wayne Meyers, AFIP.)