Society of Surgical Oncology Distinguished Service Award: Honoring David P. Winchester, M.D.

Abstract

It is a distinct honor and singular privilege for me to introduce the Society of Surgical Oncology’s inaugural Distinguished Service Awardee, David P. Winchester, M.D. (Fig. 1). Let me walk you through this remarkable man’s life, and you will readily see why he was chosen to be the first recipient of one of our Society’s highest honors. David was born and raised in Illinois by his mother, Virginia, and father, Allan. In 1959 he received his Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. While in college David married his high school sweetheart, Marilyn, and started a long-term partnership that is still going strong, now for more than 55 years (Fig. 2). This in itself is somewhat remarkable considering that 55 years ago his surprise choice of an ideal honeymoon destination for Marilyn and him was St. Louis, Missouri. David graduated in 1963 from Northwestern University Medical School and then did his internship at Evanston Hospital in Evanston, Illinois. Following his surgical internship, David served in the U.S. Army and was deployed to Vietnam in 1966 as a Captain in the Medical Corps. This was certainly a harbinger of a life committed to both service and improving the lives of others. David returned home to complete his general surgery residency at Northwestern University Medical Center, followed by a surgical oncology fellowship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute. David has been an attending surgeon for 40 years at Evanston Hospital, where he has also served in many leadership positions, including Head of Surgical Oncology and Chief of the Division of General Surgery. In 1995 he was chosen to be Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Evanston Northwestern Health Care, and he remained in that leadership position until 2007. During that time, David was a Professor of Surgery at Northwestern University Medical School and currently holds that same academic title at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. David’s academic accomplishments during the early part of his career are extraordinary and what you would envision for a leading figure in academic surgery. David has authored or co-authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and also has ten book chapters and five books to his credit. He has been a member of numerous editorial boards of both surgical and oncology journals including: Cancer, the Journal of Surgical Oncology, the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics, and, of course, our Society’s journal, the Annals of Surgical Oncology. David has had bestowed upon him numerous awards, medals, named lectureships, and an endowed chair in his name, the David P. Winchester, MD, Chair of Surgical Oncology, with the first chair holder being his accomplished son, David J. Winchester, MD. One of David’s proudest academic achievements is being awarded on multiple occasions (1990, 1993, 1998, 2006, and 2007) the Outstanding Faculty Teacher of the year in the Department of Surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine recognizing his enduring dedication to education and surgical training. David has had a long-term commitment to the mission and values of the Society of Surgical Oncology for decades and has served on its Executive Council for 10 years, named Secretary in 1993 through 1996 and served as our President in 1997–1998. While most individuals would have sat on their laurels, David was just getting started, and, therefore, it is what he has accomplished following his term as SSO president that truly distinguishes this surgical leader. First let me quickly summarize his tenure at the American College of Society of Surgical Oncology 2013