Sept. 17--Frederick Malkinson, founder and longtime chairman of the department of dermatology at what is now Rush University Medical Center, was a pioneer in the use of radiation for a variety of skin diseases.
"Dr. Malkinson was the first chief of the division of dermatology at Rush in 1970 and the first chair in 1971. He was and will always be father of Rush dermatology," Dr. Michael Tharp , the department's current chair, said in an email to colleagues.
Malkinson, 91, died of natural causes Sept. 7 in Evanston Hospital, according to his son, Philip. He had lived in Evanston since 1971.
In addition to using radiation to treat skin disorders, Tharp and others said Malkinson was also an innovator in developing audiovisual teaching aids to help educate university medical students and residents-in-training in dermatology. That and his other teaching work earned him the 2005 Lifetime Career Educator Award from the Evanston-based Dermatology Foundation.
Malkinson wrote more than 130 articles, clinical studies and book chapters in dermatology publications, was chief editor of the Yearbook of Dermatology and the American Medical Association "Archives of Dermatology" and served as an editorial consultant to the World Book Medical Encyclopedia, according to Tharp.
Malkinson was born and grew up in Hartford, Conn., where his father was a dentist. After high school he went to Harvard, first attending Harvard College, where he majored in history, and then the Harvard School of Dental Medicine before going on to Harvard Medical School, where he graduated in 1949.
Philip Malkinson said while his father never practiced much dentistry, it was through dentistry he got interested in dermatology.
"He got interested in gum conditions while working in dentistry," the younger Malkinson said. "That extended to skin conditions outside the mouth and then he got interested in general skin conditions."
After interning at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, he completed a residency in dermatology and the treatment of syphilis at the University of Chicago.
His studies there were interrupted by service with the Navy from late 1950 until late 1952 after he was called up during the Korean conflict. He spent part of that time at an Army hospital in Tokyo and also served at a Navy hospital in Oakland, Calif., before returning to the University of Chicago. After leaving active service, he remained in the Navy reserves for more than 20 years, his son said.
He completed his residency Chicago in early 1955. By then he was an instructor in dermatology in the U. of C.'s department of medicine.
He worked his way up at U. of C. and was an associate professor and research associate there by the late 1960s.
That was about the time he was recruited to Rush to become chairman of what was then the dermatology section in the department of medicine.
He soon established dermatology as a department and became its chairman, a post he held until the early 1990s.
"Fred taught and mentored countless medical students and residents during this time, and encouraged them to not only be outstanding physicians but also explore interests outside of medicine," Tharp said in an email.
He was the Clark W. Finnerud, M.D. Professor and Chairman at Rush from 1981 to 1995, when he was named professor emeritus.
"Education was important to him," his son said. "That was an area he put a lot of attention on."
Outside of medicine, his interests included hiking, travel and theater. He was at one time president of the Chicago Literary Club, was active with the Evanston Public Library during the design and construction of its current facility, and was board president when the new building opened in 1994.
Survivors include his wife of 36 years, Una ; a daughter, Carol ; another son, John ; two stepsons, Bill and Paul Weiss ; and two grandchildren.
A private service was held.
Graydon Megan is a freelance reporter.
