Classics in Epilepsy and Behavior: Commentary

Abstract

In 1958, Dr. Francis M. Forster became the Chairman of the Department of Neurology at the University of Wisconsin Medical School. In developing the Department, Forster decided to add a section of neuropsychology, a relatively new clinical specialty, and in retrospect a bold move. Forster selected Halgrim Klove to direct the Neuropsychology Lab, and one of Hal’s first faculty hires was Charles Matthews. Having completed postdoctoral training with Dr. Ralph Reitan in Indianapolis, Chuck was working at Fort Wayne State Hospital in Indiana. He joined the Department of Neurology in 1962, and subsequently began one of the longest standing training programs in clinical neuropsychology in the United States. Klove and Matthews shared many research interests, but none more so than epilepsy. Together, and then later with a succession of talented fellows and students, they began to map out the neuropsychological consequences of the epilepsies in a systematic and comprehensive fashion.