J. William Littler, MD, 1915–2005

Abstract

J. William Littler, MD, one of the founders of the specialty of hand surgery, former director of the hand surgery service of the St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, and mentor to several generations of American and international hand surgeons, died on February 27, 2005, in Providence, Rhode Island. He had sustained a head injury in a fall in late October 2004. He was 89 years old and he lived a major part of his life in New York City. Dr. Littler was a legend in the field of hand surgery—a true renaissance man who aptly applied a rich background in the classics, mathematics, and engineering with the keen eye of an accomplished artist, to teaching and innovation in upper-extremity surgery. He edited several classic textbooks in hand reconstruction and published over 70 original articles, many of which defined the basic principles in hand surgery: sensory neurovascular island transfers, reconstruction for the absent thumb, and tendon transfers for nerve-damaged arms and hands. His contributions to hand surgery are so fundamental and so fully assimilated into the basic principles of structure and function of the hand, that little thought is given to who originally described them. Dr. Littler was born in Manlius in upstate New York, October 7, 1915, the son of James H. and Adelaide Littler. At age 8 he attended weekend art classes at Syracuse University College of Fine Arts and at 16 he built and flew his own glider. He attended Duke University Medical School, graduating with honors in 1942. His internship was at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he was awarded the William Halstead Fellowship; however, his formal training was interrupted by World War II. He joined the U.S. Army and was eventually stationed at Cushing Army Hospital outside Boston. He was assigned to the orthopedic service, which was subsequently designated as one of several centers for the late care and reconstruction of upper-extremity injuries. At war’s end he volunteered to complete many complex hand reconstruction procedures on Valley Forge Army Hospital patients. While there, he developed many of the reconstruction principles and techniques that are still in use today. After the war Dr. Littler, although a recognized authority on upper-extremity reconstruction, completed a plastic surgery residency under Jerome Webster, MD, at Columbia University. In 1952 he set up practice at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City and founded a hand surgery fellowship program that continues to this day. Many of the more than 100 graduates have presided over national hand, orthopedic, and plastic societies and have chaired academic departments in these specialties throughout the United States and abroad. The Professor, as he was affectionately known by his students, had a remarkable ability to make rapid, clear sketches as he spoke, making his subject clear and easily remembered. The hallmark of his numerous prestigious national and international lectureships were his remarkable illustrations. His drawings appear in all major hand, plastic, and orthopedic texts and are regarded as classics in hand reconstruction. His sketches have also graced the napkins and tablecloths of many restaurants here and abroad. Dr. Littler was one of the last surviving founding members of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. He was also a founding member of the Group d’Etude de la Main (GEM) and Sociedad de Cirugia de la Mano del Caribe. Dr. Littler was also a member of the American College of Surgeons, the American Association of Plastic Surgeons, the British Society for Surgery of the Hand, and the Societe International de Chirurgie Orthopedique et de Traumatologie. He was Emeritus Professor of Surgery (Plastic) at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. Dr. Littler is survived by his daughter, Anne, of Paradise Valley, Nevada; a brother, Ted, in Providence, Rhode Island; his long-time secretary, Joyce Jones Wells; and the Members of the Littler-Eaton Society. At his request there are to be no memorial funds or services in his name.