Faculty Update: Middelkamp, Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics, 86
J. Neal Middelkamp, MD, professor emeritus of pediatrics, died Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011, at his home in St. Louis following a brief illness. He was 86.
“Dr. Middelkamp has been a pillar of the academic pediatric community at Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis Children’s Hospital since his graduation from our School of Medicine in 1948,” says Alan L. Schwartz, MD, PhD, the Harriet B. Spoehrer Professor and head of the Department of Pediatrics. “He has had a profound impact on pediatric education and training in pediatric infectious diseases and ambulatory pediatrics.”
Dr. Middelkamp earned a medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in 1948 and completed a residency, including a time as chief resident in pediatrics at St. Louis Children’s Hospital in 1953. He joined the faculty at the School of Medicine in 1953 and became a professor in 1970. While in pediatrics, he was director of the department’s Division of Infectious Diseases and the Division of Ambulatory Pediatrics. He became professor emeritus in 1998.
In addition, he served as the pediatric clerkship coursemaster at the School of Medicine for 40 years, during which time more than 4,000 medical students were introduced to pediatrics. He also served on the Residency Review Committee for pediatrics and was vice chairman of the committee. He was a member of the American Board of Pediatrics, including the group’s board of directors, and in 1988 he served as the board’s chairman.
Dr. Middelkamp also served in the School of Medicine’s Office of the Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education since 1997. There, he played an active role in maintaining the high quality of residency and fellowship training at Washington University, Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
In 1958, Dr. Middelkamp was a fellow of the National Foundation/March of Dimes and began to study viral diseases affecting children. These studies included electron microscopy analyses of host cells and a variety of viral pathogens, including cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex, vaccinia and rubella viruses.
Dr. Middelkamp received the School of Medicine’s Alumni Award in 1988 and its Distinguished Alumni Scholarship in 1993. He received St. Louis Children’s Hospital’s Distinguished Physician Award in 1997.
Dr. Middelkamp and his wife, Lois, also established the J. Neal and Lois Middelkamp Visiting Professorship in Pediatrics to support a pediatric lectureship in infectious diseases and advances in pediatric education for medical students, residents and pediatricians, all life-long interests of Dr. Middelkamp.
Dr. Middelkamp is survived by his wife, Lois; four children: Sharon Belcher, Steven Middelkamp, Susan Crean, and Scott Middelkamp; a sister; nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services were held at 10 a.m. Nov. 5 at First Evangelical Free Chapel in Manchester, Mo. Memorial contributions may be made to the J. Neal and Lois Middelkamp Lectureship in Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8116, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110.
James Keating, MD, Diagnostic Center medical director, remembers a longtime colleague, friend and fellow military veteran.
“J. Neal Middelkamp provided an example of courage and integrity to our local and national pediatric communitiesfrom 1943 when he joined the Washington University School of Medicine in a United States Navy program until his death.
He reentered the Navy in 1950 and was assigned to the U.S. forces during the heroic but painful retreat from the Yalu through the frozen wastes of the Chosin reservoir area. He was a commander in the USN MC when he returned to duty at SLCH. At his funeral today a naval squad fired a salute and a bugler played taps. Two sailors folded the American flag from his casket and gave it with President Obama'sthanks (for the nation) to Lois, his wife.
Neal was medical student, resident, chief resident, professor of pediatrics, head of the ID division, and distinguished professor all at Washington University and president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He was head of our WUMS3 clerkship for 40 years. He was trusted and loved by all who knew him.”
Dr. Keating served as a pallbearer along with fellow physicians Bo Kennedy, MD, Greg Storch, MD, Maury Lonsway, MD, John Herweg, MD, Doug Carlson, MD, and Mark Manary, MD
