Putschar Lectureship Overview

Dr. Walter G. J. Putschar, a world-renowned bone pathologist and educator, served at Massachusetts General Hospital from 1958 to 1986 and was admired both for his remarkable knowledge of all aspects of bone disease and his dedication to teaching.

To continue these traditions, his colleagues, students and family donated funds that enabled the establishment in 1984 of an annual lectureship: the Walter G. J. Putschar Lectureship of the Pathology Service at the Mass General and Harvard Medical School.

An eminent academic pathologist visits the department for two days and gives two formal lectures to the entire faculty and trainees of the department, and two sessions primarily directed toward educating the trainees in practical aspects of pathology. A celebratory dinner is also held, at which informal remembrances of Dr. Putschar are given.

For over 30 years, the lectureship has been considered the highlight of the academic year for the department. By bringing in thought leaders in every area of pathology to challenge and inform the faculty and trainees, it ensures that one of the leading teaching hospital pathology services in the world will have its horizons perpetually expanded.

Putschar Lecturers

The list of Putschar lecturers over the past quarter century includes many of the luminaries in academic pathology from the United States and abroad.

1984    Howard Dorfman 1985   Juan Rosai
1986    Leopold Koss 1987   Louis P. Dehner
1988    E. Dillwyn Williams 1989   Sharon W. Weiss
1990    Karl Lennert 1991   Harvey Goldman
1992    Robert E. Fechner 1993   George M. Farrow
1994    Wallace A. Clark 1995   Richard L. Kempson
1996    Thomas V. Colby 1997   Ernest E. Lack
1998    Bernd W. Scheithauer 1999   William R. Hart
2000    Renu Virmani 2001    Francis W. Chandler
2002    Mark H. Stoler 2003    Elaine Jaffe
2004    John Goldblum 2005    K. Krishnan Unni
2006    Stacey Mills 2007    George M. Murphy
2008    Christopher Fletcher 2009    Neil J. Sebire
2010    Jeffrey L. Myers 2011    David Ellison
2012    Sylvia Asa 2013    Ian Ellis
2014    Joel K. Greenson 2019   Stuart Schnitt