Noted Mayo Career Ends

Dr. Waltman Walters '17, internationally known surgeon, retired on October 1 as senior surgeon of the Mayo Clinic and professor of surgery in the Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minn. He had been associated with the Mayo Foundation for 40 years and with the Clinic for 36. Very early in his career Dr. Walters became interested in the surgical treatment of diseases of the liver, stomach and gallbladder, although he actually applied himself to the entire field of abdominal and urological surgery. He has contributed more than 400 papers, chapters and other works to medical and surgical literature and since 1936 he has been editor-in-chief of the "Archives of Surgery." Dr. Walters has been president of several medical societies and associations and holds membership in many more. In recent years he has given much time and attention to the furthering of international friendship and good relations among physicians and surgeons.

Following his graduation from the College, Dr. Walters entered Rush Medical College of the University of Chicago and received his M.D. degree in 1920. On July 1, 1920 he joined the Mayo Foundation as a Fellow in Medicine. He received the master's degree in surgery from the University of Minnesota in 1923, and on October 1, 1924 he was appointed to the staff of the Mayo Clinic as head of the section of surgery. At the same time he was made an instructor in surgery in the Mayo Foundation. He was advanced to assistant professor in 1927, associate professor in 1930, and full professor in 1936.

The College awarded Dr. Walters the honorary degree of Doctor of Science at Commencement in 1937. In 1958 he was appointed by President Dickey to be a member of a policy committee of the Dartmouth Medical School, with the deans of Harvard. Johns Hopkins and Columbia Medical Schools, and presently he is honorary chairman of the Dartmouth Medical School Campaign.

Dr. Walters was married to Miss Phoebe Mayo of Rochester, Minn., on February 5, 1921. They have five children. The Walters are now on an extended trip to the Far and Middle East on which Dr. Walters will visit and study many of the important surgical centers and cancer research hospitals of those areas. He plans to undertake an investigation of cancer of the stomach among the Asiatic people.