"The Quarterly Advocate" is a publication of the BCCNS Life Support Network in the US. In the issue of March 2005, I found a short biography of Robert Gorlin (now deceased), which fills in more about his early life (he certainly "did it tough" as a young person!). I retyped it for the Australian Gorlin Syndrome Mutual Support Group email, and post it here:
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"ROBERT JAMES GORLIN, D.D.S., M.S., D.Sc. (Athens) (Thessalonika) (Maryland) (Copenhagen).
Born in Hudson, New York, in 1932, Bob Gorlin was the only child of James Alter Gorlin and Gladys Gretchen Hallenbeck. Abandoned by his biological mother and raised by his great aunt, until at age 11, young Bob rejoined his father and stepmother. His father was a small businessman, with little formal education. The family moved often to towns throughout New Jersey. At age 14, they moved into a two bedroom apt, with grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and 2 borders). During high school, a general science teacher recognized some hidden talents in him and requested he take a college prep. course. He received a scholarship to attend Columbia College in New York City. Through his ingenuity creating income earners, such as: a "corsage agency" for fraternity dances; a "personal stationery agency"; and a "personal laundry service", he managed to float an education and received his BA in 3 years. He honorably served his country in the Army from 1943 to 1944; and again in the Naval Reserve, Active Duty at Great Lakes USNTC, Illinois, from 1953 - 56.
Dr. Gorlin earned his doctorate of Dentistry from Washington Univ. School of Dentistry 1944 - 47. He was Dental Dir. & Pathologist for Operation Blue Jay, in Thule, Greenland, in '51 &'52; later attended State Univ. of Iowa, as an instructor for Oral Pathology and Chemistry. He held joint appointments as the Professor of Pathology, Dept. of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology; Professor of Pediatrics, Dept, of Pediatrics; Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology; and Professor of Otolaryngology; all at the School of Medicine, Univ. of Minnesota from 1971 - 1993. Dr. Gorlin found his life's partner and spouse, in the remarkable gentlewoman, Marilyn Alpern, marrying in 1952. Marilyn and Bob are the proud parents of Cathy and Jed, and love to spend time with their 5 grandchildren."
Following it was a Chronology of Publications by Dr Gorlin.
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I recently found a page dedicated to the memory of Dr. Robert J Gorlin, in the newsletter of the Minnesota Dental Association; it was a pleasure to read more about this excellent man. The url:
Introduction: Nelson L. Rhodus, D.M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.D.*:
“Well of course I know who Dr. Gorlin is. He’s one of the main reasons I am going to Minnesota!” This is what I said to one of my colleagues more than 25 years ago when I made the decision to join the faculty of the University of Minnesota.
It was such a distinct pleasure to know and work with Bob Gorlin over the years. No, it was much more than that: it was a pure joy. He was a person you really looked forward to seeing. Whistling down the hallway, waving to me in the cafeteria, or bursting into my office announcing some discovery, it was pure pleasure. You always had time or made time to visit with Bob Gorlin. My perception of Bob can be summed up in three categories: genius, generous, and genuine.
If Bob Gorlin wasn’t a genius, I don’t know who could be defined as one. He knew and could remember so many facts, speak so many languages. The breadth of his knowledge was incredible: art, history, architecture, anthropology, linguistics; even more amazingly within medicine itself: genetics, pediatrics, dermatology, otolaryngology, oncology. An expert who held academic appointments in so many disciplines, he was actually a dentist. By an amazing stroke of fate, the US Army randomly assigned him to enter dental school at Washington University in St. Louis. Anyone who has heard his lectures on the “Evil Eye”, the Hapsburg Jaw, or “About Face” needs no convincing of his genius. His more than 600 scientific publications and numerous international academic awards and accolades leave little doubt. Inquisitive and drawn to the unusual, Bob investigated, named, and consulted on literally hundreds of rare and challenging syndromes. He enjoyed the odd and eccentric. ... ."
See the page for much more. By all accounts, he was a wonderful clinician, mentor, and human being. Some of the anecdotes about him, by people who knew him, had me chuckling but with growing admiration for this remarkable man.
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The software informed me that I will receive an email alerting me when comments are posted. I intend to reply, if email addresses are supplied. See the second post of August 2011 ("Raising Awareness among Dermatologists") for other ways to contact the Australian Mutual Support Group.