Ambition for Self and for Specialty: Emery A. Rovenstine and the Politics of Organized Anesthesia, 1937–1947

Abstract

The letters between Emery Andrew Rovenstine, MD (1895-1960), and Arthur Ernest Guedel, MD (1883-1956), are a window into the personalities and politics of the creation of American anesthesiology. The ambition of these men, both personal and professional, lay at the heart of their sacrifices and successes. Their correspondence unmasked common struggles and foibles, humanizing these giants of our field. Notably throughout the letters, Rovenstine, as the junior partner, wrestled with Guedel's advice to temper personal ambition for the collective good. Over time, their relationship matured, and the junior eclipsed the senior. Still, at various points in his career, Rovenstine was censured for self-promotion by leaders in anesthesiology and the general medical community. These moments brought to light issues of continued relevance today: inner tension between individual and group ambition, and professional friction between academic and political priorities in anesthesiology. In the end, it was an unapologetic blend of ambition for self and ambition for the specialty that allowed Emery Rovenstine to make his unique imprint on American anesthesiology.