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Henry Mankin (MED '53)

Henry Mankin serves on the Board of Visitors and returns to Pittsburgh once a year from his home in Boston to review the current state of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Every time, he's struck by how much has changed since he started medical school in 1949.

He's changed—from a "too young, relatively graceless and insecure in social situations" student to a distinguished and eloquently spoken orthopedic surgeon and researcher. He serves as senior research consultant for the Orthopedic Oncology Service at Massachusetts General Hospital and as the Edith M. Ashley Professor Emeritus of Orthopaedics at Harvard Medical School.

The city has changed—from an "ugly city blackened by coal and grime from the mills" to a clean city at the forefront of the technological and medical industries.

But most importantly, the School of Medicine has changed.

In 1949, the School of Medicine's goal was to train Western Pennsylvania residents to become general practitioners in Western Pennsylvania. Now, students come from all over the country and practice in every field all over the world. Teachers were physicians who volunteered part of their time to teaching. Today's faculty members are full-time educators and researchers. Students lived at home or in boarding houses and wore ties and coats to classes!

"In fact, almost nothing is the same as it was when we were in school," Henry said during an address to his classmates at their 50th reunion in May 2003. "Diseases are different. Diagnostic techniques are different. Treatment modalities are different. The amazing thing is that we, the Class of '53, have kept up with all of this. And that is a testament to the quality of education that we received here 50 years ago."

In appreciation of that education, Henry and his wife generously support the School of Medicine each year with a leadership annual gift. It's his way of ensuring that the changes won't stop, so that at his 60th reunion he can talk about how the School of Medicine has continued to adapt to new technologies and breakthroughs in medical treatments.

In addition, the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery named an endowed chair in Henry's honor, to recognize his dedication and service to the department and the school.

The one thing that will never change, Henry can say for sure, is his regard for the University.