Columbia is the recipient of the largest donation ever made to a school of public health, thanks to the Mailman Foundation, a family-run foundation that supports institutions concerned with child welfare, education, and the environment. The Mailman Foundation’s $33 million gift will support faculty, students, and the school’s public health programs and research. In recognition of the landmark gift, Dr. George Rupp, president of Columbia University, announced that the school will be renamed the Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University. “The school is forever indebted to the Mailman family for its extraordinary generosity, which so clearly demonstrates its belief and support of our public health mission,” says Dr. Allan Rosenfield, dean. “When our family learned the scope of the school’s work in community health, we became intrigued with the possibility of helping it do more,” said Jody Wolfe, daughter of the late Joseph Mailman. Joseph L. Mailman, with his brother Abraham, formed the Utica Knife and Razor Company, the Pal Blade Company, and later the Mailman Corporation, one of the earliest conglomerates in North America. During his career, Mr. Mailman was president of the Persona Blade Company and the British Rubber Company and chairman of the board of Air Express International. He was successful in raising funds for many philanthropic organizations, including the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies. Mr. Mailman actively assisted families fleeing Nazi Germany. He died in 1990 leaving a legacy of philanthropic commitment to his family, which runs the Mailman Foundation.

FROM LEFT, Diana Landreth, School of Public Health associate dean for external affairs, Josh Mailman, Phyllis Mailman, and Dean Allan Rosenfield pose shortly after the Mailman Foundation announced a gift of $33 million to the Columbia School of Public Health that will rename the school in honor of the foundation’s founder, Joseph L. Mailman. “We are immensely proud of our new name,” says Dr. Rosenfield. “This gift will strengthen the institution’s endowment and increase the visibility of the School of Public Health and its mission among health professionals, the general public, and the philanthropic community. It will also ensure our continued leadership on the many health policy issues of such great importance to communities and individuals in our country and throughout the world.” The Mailman family expresses its wish that this gift will inspire others to give to the school. “He would be pleased with the Mailman Foundation’s decision to invest in the School of Public Health,” says Phyllis Mailman of her late husband. “The family’s hope is that the gift may encourage other small family foundations to consider making such transforming gifts to really make a difference, to think about the possibilities of how they can make a statement.” A special dinner gala in recognition of the Mailman’s generous contribution is planned for early October at Columbia’s Low Library.

With a visit from three astronauts, Babies & Children’s Hospital’s new pediatric intensive care unit is launched.......2 Photo highlights from this summer’s BioParks’98 conference, sponsored by Columbia and Audubon......4 The School of Dental & Oral Surgery receives a $4.5 million grant to increase health care access in Northern Manhattan......8 Flashback of 1948 and see what was happening on the Health Sciences campus half a century ago......12

Dr. Louis U. Bigliani has been appointed chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at P&S. He succeeds Dr. Harold Dick who had served as department chairman since 1984. Dr. Dick will continue as professor of orthopedic surgery and as an active member of the clinical faculty at P&S. Dr. Bigliani is a native of New Jersey. He received his M.D. degree from Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine in 1972. After surgical training at Roosevelt Hospital he began his orthopedic surgery residency at the New York Orthopaedic Hospital at CPMC in 1974. After his residency, Dr. Bigliani completed the Annie C. Kane Fellowship in Shoulder and Implant Surgery at CPMC, subsequently joining the faculty in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. “My goal as chairman is to assemble a cohesive, motivated group of faculty, residents, and staff to provide unsurpassed quality care for patients in a cutting-edge academic environment,” says Dr. Bigliani. “We plan to increase our clinical services, particularly in the areas of sports medicine and pediatrics, while enhancing our renowned research and teaching program.” At CPMC, Dr. Bigliani has been chief of the shoulder service since 1990. Under his leadership, new ground has been broken with the development of improved, muscle-sparing approaches to rotator cuff surgery, minimally invasive techniques of

DR. LOUIS U. BIGLIANI arthroscopic shoulder surgery, and innovative approaches to rehabilitating the shoulder problems of high-performance athletes. Dr. Bigliani devised the commonly used classification of the acromion, the bone that is usually the cause of impingement in rotator cuff disease. As an internationally recognized leader in shoulder surgery, Dr. Bigliani has written and lectured extensively on the subject. He sits on numerous national committees and editorial boards. He is also an active National Institutes of Health investigator and four-time recipient of the Charles S. Neer II, M.D., Award for Excellence in Shoulder Research. Dr. Bigliani’s chairmanship became effective in July. The chairmanship was announced along with his appointment to director of the Orthopaedic Surgery Service for the Columbia-Presbyterian campus of New York Presbyterian Hospital. He was also appointed Frank E. Stinchfield Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery.