James Somerville McLester (January 25, 1877 – February 8, 1954) was an American physician, nutritionist and writer.
James Somerville McLester | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | January 25, 1877 |
| Died | February 8, 1954 |
| Occupation(s) | Physician, nutritionist |
McLester was born at Tuscaloosa, Alabama.[1] He was educated at the University of Alabama and graduated M.D. from the University of Virginia in 1899.[2][3] McLester studied medicine at Göttingen, Freiburg, Berlin and Munich.[4] In 1902, he was appointed professor of pathology at Birmingham Medical College.[1] He became professor of medicine, a post he held until 1912. He was appointed professor of medicine at the University of Alabama School of Medicine. He became professor emeritus in 1949.[1]
During World War I, McLester was commissioned as First Lieutenant in the Medical Reserve Corps.[2] He was promoted in 1918 to Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel in 1919.[2] McLester received a LL.D. degree from the University of Alabama in 1929.[2] McLester was president of the Alabama Medical Association in 1920.[5] He was Chairman of the Council on Food and Nutrition of the American Medical Association and was president in 1935.[1]
He married Ada Bowron in 1903, they had four children.[2] McLester was described as "one of the nation's outstanding nutritionists".[6] In 1953, he was awarded the Joseph Goldberger Gold Medal for outstanding work in clinical nutrition by trustees of the American Medical Association.[2][7] McLester died from coronary thrombosis in Birmingham, Alabama.[8]
A portrait of McLester was unveiled in January, 2018 in the main lobby of the UAB Community Health Services Building at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.[9]
Selected publications
edit- The Diagnosis and Treatment of Disorder of Metabolism (1928)
- Nutrition and Diet in Health and Disease (1931, 1949)
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Dr. James Somerville McLester". The British Medical Journal. 1 (4859): 464. 1954.
- ^ a b c d e f Carmichael, Emmett B. (1962). "James Somerville McLester: Nutritionist-Physician". Bulletin of the History of Medicine. 36 (2): 141–147.
- ^ "James Somerville McLester, MD". Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame.
- ^ Wilder, Russell M. (1954). "James Somerville McLester: 1877-1954". Science. 120 (3111): 242–243. Bibcode:1954Sci...120..242W. doi:10.1126/science.120.3111.242. PMID 13186826.
- ^ "McLester, James Somerville, 1877-1954". Alabama Authors.
- ^ Holley, Howard L. (1982). The History of Medicine in Alabama. University of Alabama School of Medicine. p. 187. ISBN 978-0817300852
- ^ "Dr. McLester Receives Nutrition Award". JAMA. 153 (15): 1367. 1953.
- ^ Smith, Carter (1955). "Dr. James S. McLester". Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association. 66: lxi–lxiii. PMC 2248923. PMID 13256567.
- ^ "Portrait of former chair of Medicine unveiled before descendants and School leaders". University of Alabama at Birmingham.