Melvin L. Rubin, MD, MSc (1932–2014)

Abstract

Mel Rubin, longtime member of Survey's editorial board, died of complications of lung cancer in February. A native of San Francisco, he attended the University of California, Berkeley, graduating in optometry. He then received an MD from the University of California, San Francisco, and completed his ophthalmology residency and a master's degree in physiology at the University of Iowa.After a stint at the National Institutes of Health, he joined the faculty at the University of Florida, Gainesville, in 1963. He described himself as the “only retina surgeon between Miami and Atlanta” and quickly built a large referral practice. He went on to chair the Department of Ophthalmology there for 17 years, in addition to numerous other national leadership positions in ophthalmology. He had the wisdom to retire from clinical practice at age 65, but remained active as a teacher.My first contact with Dr. Rubin was as a first year resident pouring over his monograph Optics for Clinicians, a work that has introduced generations of residents to the niceties of geometric and visual optics in an almost conversational style. I do recall his saying that royalties from this book put his three children through college.Mel was the founding editor of Survey's section “Perspectives in Refraction,” later renamed “Refractions and Reflections.” After retiring as a section editor, he continued to serve as a consulting editor. He was a regular attendee at the Survey's editorial board meetings and actively participated. When I first became Editor for Continuing Education, he took me aside and gave me pointers on how to construct multiple choice questions. As he is often called the “Father of the OKAPs,” this was advice from an experienced and knowledgeable source.Despite his many achievements, he was a soft-spoken, kind, and modest man with a wonderful sense of humor. His unique perspective will be missed and his many contributions to the Survey remembered. Mel Rubin, longtime member of Survey's editorial board, died of complications of lung cancer in February. A native of San Francisco, he attended the University of California, Berkeley, graduating in optometry. He then received an MD from the University of California, San Francisco, and completed his ophthalmology residency and a master's degree in physiology at the University of Iowa. After a stint at the National Institutes of Health, he joined the faculty at the University of Florida, Gainesville, in 1963. He described himself as the “only retina surgeon between Miami and Atlanta” and quickly built a large referral practice. He went on to chair the Department of Ophthalmology there for 17 years, in addition to numerous other national leadership positions in ophthalmology. He had the wisdom to retire from clinical practice at age 65, but remained active as a teacher. My first contact with Dr. Rubin was as a first year resident pouring over his monograph Optics for Clinicians, a work that has introduced generations of residents to the niceties of geometric and visual optics in an almost conversational style. I do recall his saying that royalties from this book put his three children through college. Mel was the founding editor of Survey's section “Perspectives in Refraction,” later renamed “Refractions and Reflections.” After retiring as a section editor, he continued to serve as a consulting editor. He was a regular attendee at the Survey's editorial board meetings and actively participated. When I first became Editor for Continuing Education, he took me aside and gave me pointers on how to construct multiple choice questions. As he is often called the “Father of the OKAPs,” this was advice from an experienced and knowledgeable source. Despite his many achievements, he was a soft-spoken, kind, and modest man with a wonderful sense of humor. His unique perspective will be missed and his many contributions to the Survey remembered.