Announcing the 2023 Hall of Distinction Inductees

The American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and Foundation (AAO-HNS/F) is pleased to announce the selection of the third class of inductees into the AAO-HNS Hall of Distinction. A special thank you to the Awards Committee,* which selected six individuals for the “Pioneers” category and six individuals for the “Living Legends” category. Those recommendations were approved by the Board of Directors in April. President Kathleen L. Yaremchuk, MD, MSA, will honor this outstanding class of inductees during a special presentation at the AAO-HNSF 2023 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience, in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 1, from 5:00 – 6:00 pm (CT). Those from the 2023 class of Living Legends will share their thoughts and insights on the global otolaryngology community.

*The Awards Committee is chaired by Albert L. Merati, MD, who recused himself during the discussion of his nomination.

Hall of Distinction (Pioneers)

E. Maxine Bennett, MDE. Maxine Bennett, MD, was a trailblazer in medicine and otolaryngology. She served as an otolaryngologist and professor emeritus of the University Medical School, University of Wisconsin, in Madison. In 1938, Dr. Bennett entered the University of Nebraska College of Medicine in Omaha where she was one of three women in her class. She graduated in 1942 and relocated to Madison for a seven-year internship specializing in otolaryngology until she qualified for and passed her medical board exams in 1949.

After serving as the medical director of the Bureau for Handicapped Children (BHC) in the Wisconsin Department of Education from 1950 to 1953, she became a full-time faculty member at the University Medical School as associate professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology, where she was the only woman in the department and five years later became chair in 1958. She retired from the University Medical School in 1978 and was given emerita status and recognized by the Wisconsin Medical Society as a 50-year member.

After retiring, Dr. Bennett became involved as the secretary and president of the Wisconsin Otolaryngology Society and vice president and chair of the Middle Section of the Triological Society (TRIO), where she achieved another milestone as the first woman elected to TRIO. In 1988, Dr. Bennett received the Wisconsin Medical Alumni Association Emeritus Professor Faculty Award.

Gus Gill, MDGus Gill, MD, was an inspirational leader and mentor to many, who demonstrated a passion for training, education, and healthcare access both in his local community and internationally. Dr. Gill was professor emeritus, chair of the Department of Otolaryngology, and senior advisor to the president at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) in Los Angeles, California.

From the time that Dr. Gill became chair in 1978 until his retirement in 2005, he was the only African American chair of an otolaryngology department in the United States. In addition to his 27-year tenure as chair, he also served in other leadership positions such a president of the Faculty Council, president of the University’s Academic Senate, and director of the International Health Institute. For his historic achievements and collaborative contributions, Dr. Gill received the CDU Legacy Leaders Award in 2014 as well as the President’s Medal in 2015 (posthumously).

Beyond his work at CDU, another key area of focus for Dr. Gill was the work of his international healthcare outreach programs, extending training and healthcare access in African nations and countries around the globe. Dr. Gill, who also contributed to the service of his country in the U.S. Army, earned his medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School, where he also completed his residency.

Jack L. Gluckman, MDJack L. Gluckman, MD, was a natural and charismatic leader and served as AAO-HNS/F President from 2000 to 2001. Dr. Gluckman was professor emeritus and chair of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Cincinnati (UC), in Ohio, a position he held from 1991 to 2004. During his more than 30 years on the faculty, he served in many leadership roles, including associate dean for clinical affairs and the first chief of the medical staff.

He was born and raised in South Africa attending medical school at the University of Cape Town. After completing his otolaryngology residency at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, he joined the faculty at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town and then subsequently entered private practice in Port Elizabeth. In 1977 Dr. Gluckman moved to Cincinnati for a fellowship in head and neck oncologic surgery and remained on the faculty at UC.

In addition to serving as AAO-HNS/F President, Dr. Gluckman also served as president of the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, board member of the American Head and Neck Society, and vice president of the Triological Society. Internationally he was Regional Secretary for North America, Mexico, and the Caribbean for the International Federation of Otolaryngologic Societies.

Howard P. House, MDHoward P. House, MD, was a pioneering surgeon-scientist who served as AAO-HNS/F President from 1971 to 1972. Dr. House was a clinical professor of otology (1946-2000) and chair of the Department of Otolaryngology (1952-1961) at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine.

In 1946 he founded what is known today as the House Institute, located in Los Angeles, California. Dr. House dedicated his more than six-decade-career to the advancement of hearing research and treatment. Under his guidance of scientific exploration, the House Ear Institute developed the first cochlear implant for commercial use and also became the first medical organization to adapt movie cameras and accessories for use with a surgical microscope to create professional medical training films. 

Dr. House was a teacher and innovator whose accomplishments include perfecting the double blue line fenestration procedure, the wire loop technique to replace the stapes bone of the middle ear, and much more. In 1947 he directed the national study on industrial noise that set the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration hearing conservation standards. He also served as president of the Asociacion Panamericana de Otorinolaringologia, the American Otological Society, Salerni Collegium USC, and the Centurion Club of the Deafness Research Foundation. Dr. House was internationally recognized for his contributions to hearing science and received numerous honorary degrees and lifetime achievement awards.  

Charles “Chuck” J. Krause, MDCharles J. “Chuck” Krause, MD, was a consensus-building leader who served as AAO-HNS/F President from 1996 to 1997. In 1977 Dr. Krause joined the faculty at the University of Michigan as a professor of otolaryngology and served as chair of the department until 1992. He served in leadership positions in the Michigan area, including dean for clinical affairs at the medical school and chief of clinical affairs at the University of Michigan Hospitals. He served as senior associate hospital director for medical affairs from 1995 to 1996 and returned to clinical practice in the Department of Otolaryngology in 1996, remaining active on the faculty until 2000.

Dr. Krause was also extremely involved in humanitarian outreach. Prior to his retirement, he established the Barbara and Charles Krause Lectureship in Humanities in Medicine. In 1999 he was awarded the Harold R. Johnson Diversity Service Award in recognition for his support and contributions to the promotion of cultural diversity with his establishment of the first departmental diversity committee.

During his career, he also served as president of the American Society of Head and Neck Surgery, the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, and the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Dr. Krause served in the United States Air Force at the Randolph Air Force Base from 1963 to 1965.

Emily Lois Van Loon, MDEmily Lois Van Loon, MD, was a pioneering innovator and practicing otolaryngologist. Dr. Van Loon, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, succeeded Margaret F. Butler, MD, as the chief of otolaryngology at the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania (WMCP). She also served as assistant in bronchoscopy in the Graduate School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, associate professor of bronchoscopy at Temple University, and chief of bronchoscopy at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children.

During the 1930s she worked with Chevalier Jackson, MD, at the famous Jackson Clinic at Temple University, and she is credited, along with Dr. Jackson, with the development of the bronchoscope and bronchoscopic removal of foreign bodies. Dr. Van Loon received the Elizabeth Blackwell Award from the New York Infirmary—an award presented annually to a woman physician who demonstrates conspicuous professional achievement in a previously male-dominated occupation and achievement and service.

Dr. Van Loon graduated in 1928 from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. She, along with Juanita Pearl Johns and Mary Campbell McIntyre were the first women to receive a Masters of Medical Science degree at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. The women’s undergraduate class of 1930 nominated Dr. Van Loon with three other women to the women’s Hall of Fame at the University of Pennsylvania.

Hall of Distinction (Living Legends)

Carol R. Bradford, MD, MSCarol R. Bradford, MD, MS, is an extraordinary leader demonstrating an ongoing legacy of mentorship, leadership development, inclusion, and sponsorship of women and underrepresented communities in otolaryngology. She served as AAO-HNS/F President from 2020 to 2021, and her leadership was instrumental in the support and expansion of resources the Academy provided to members and the public during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Bradford is the dean of The Ohio State University College of Medicine and vice president for Health Sciences at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, a position she has held since 2020. Prior to that Dr. Bradford served as executive vice dean for academic affairs at the University of Michigan and chair of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

From 2012 to 2018, she held the Charles J. Krause, MD, Collegiate Professorship in Otolaryngology. Dr. Bradford has been recognized for her leadership and service, such as receiving the AAO-HNS Distinguished Service Award, the American Head and Neck Society (AHNS) Distinguished Service Award, and the Helen F. Krause Memorial Trailblazer Award, which recognizes an individual who has furthered the interests of women in the field of otolaryngology. Dr. Bradford was the first woman to be elected president of AHNS in 2012 and served as president of the Society of University Otolaryngologists Head & Neck Surgeons in 2017.

Charles W. Cummings, MDCharles W. Cummings, MD, is a pioneering and exemplary leader who served as AAO-HNS/F President from 1992 to 1993, focusing on strengthening the Academy’s advocacy reach, the future of the specialty, and the legacy for medical students and residents. Dr. Cummings retired as chair of the Department of Otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins in 2003 and was recognized by Johns Hopkins University with the establishment of the Charles W. Cummings Professorship at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Prior to that he was recruited as chair to the Department of Otolaryngology at the UW Medical School in Seattle, Washington, and he served there for 12 years.

As a life-long career educator and clinician, he worked on four long-term grants from the National Institutes of Health, primarily relating to basic training and research in otolaryngology. Dr. Cummings has served as director of the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and as chair the Residency Review Committee in Otolaryngology.

He is also past president of the American Association for Academic Departments of Otolaryngology, the American Bronchoesophagological Association, as well as the American Head and Neck Society. Dr. Cummings earned his medical degree from the University of Virginia. Following service in the United States Air Force, he completed residency training in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Harvard Medical School of Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

G. Richard Holt, MD, MPH, MSE, MABE, D BioethicsG. Richard Holt, MD, MPH, MSE, MABE, D Bioethics, is a strategic leader who served as AAO-HNS/F President from 1991 to 1992, Executive Vice President (EVP) from February 2000 to June 2002, and Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Editor in Chief from 1996 to 2000, among other leadership roles. Dr. Holt has dedicated a career to the importance of the patient-physician relationship and clinical bioethics. He is professor emeritus and founding chair of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and associate professor of clinical and applied science education at the University of the Incarnate Word School of Medicine.

Dr. Holt’s clinical and research interests have been in trauma and cancer reconstruction, osseo-integrated implants, laryngology, congenital facial anomalies, global health and international medicine, aviation and space medicine, and bioethics. Following Dr. Holt’s tenure as EVP, the Holt Leadership Award was established to be given annually to a resident or fellow-in-training who best exemplifies the attributes of a young leader: honesty, integrity, fairness, advocacy, and enthusiasm.

Dr. Holt has received numerous awards and recognition including two AAO-HNS Distinguished Service Awards, the Jerome C. Goldstein, MD Public Service Award, and a Presidential Citation from K.J. Lee, MD, in 2014. Dr. Holt is a retired colonel in the United States Army Reserves.

Ronald B. Kuppersmith, MD, MBARonald B. Kuppersmith, MD, MBA, is an innovative visionary who served as AAO-HNS/F President from 2009 to 2010. Dr. Kuppersmith is in private practice with Texas ENT & Allergy and serves as professor of surgery at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine. Dr. Kuppersmith demonstrates a passion for advances in healthcare, from training programs and medical devices to expanding diversity and inclusion in otolaryngology and more.

Not long out of residency he was instrumental in developing the vision for the AAO-HNSF education platform, AcademyU. This led to Dr. Kuppersmith being selected to serve as the inaugural AAO-HNS/F Coordinator for Internet and Information Technology. In furthering the advances on diversity and equity issues, and in working with Duane J. Taylor, MD, Dr. Kuppersmith was appointed as Chair of the Task Force on Diversity in 2007, which became a permanent committee a year later. He is currently on the Board of the American Board of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery. He has received numerous awards including the Helen F. Krause Trailblazer Award and a Presidential Citation from Dr. Taylor in 2020. He was also the named Guest Lecturer for the John Conley, MD Lecture on Medical Ethics in 2018 on surgical innovation.

Dr. Kuppersmith completed his residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Baylor College of Medicine and obtained an MBA from University of Washington.

Albert L. Merati, MDAlbert L. Merati, MD, is a consensus-building, collaborative, and strategic leader who served as AAO-HNS/F President from 2018 to 2019. He is a surgeon and chief of laryngology at UW Medicine's Head and Neck Surgery Center, in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Merati demonstrates a passion for investing in the future, which includes an emphasis on specialty unity as well as cultivating a culture of inclusion in otolaryngology. He has been instrumental in the Academy’s focus on outreach programs for medical students and residents and exudes the message of quality in exceptional patient care, practice, and human connection.

Among numerous peer reviewed publications, he is the lead editor for the Textbook of Laryngology. Other leadership positions held by Dr. Merati include Chair of the AAO-HNS/F Awards Committee and senior examiner for the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. He also served on the councils of the Triological Society and the American Broncho-Esophagological Association.

Dr. Merati completed his otolaryngology training at the University of California, San Diego, including one year of National Institute of Health research training. Dr. Merati then went to Vanderbilt University to study with Robert H. Ossoff, DMD, MD, a premier training institution for academic laryngologists, including working with James L. Netterville, MD, on laryngeal framework surgery. Among countless awards and recognitions, Dr. Merati has earned two AAO-HNS Distinguished Service Awards.

Duane J. Taylor, MDDuane J. Taylor, MD, is a collaborative trailblazer dedicating a career toward creating a culture of opportunity for a diverse inclusion and representation in medicine and otolaryngology. Dr. Taylor serves the Bethesda, Maryland, community as the medical director at Le Visage ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery LLC.  He served as AAO-HNS/F President from 2019 to 2020 and offered his steadfast leadership during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Issues of diversity and inclusion, health and wellness, and international outreach have been areas of focus throughout his career.

Early in his career, not long after completing his training and fellowship, Dr. Taylor was elected by the Otolaryngology Section of the National Medical Association to represent them as a governor to the AAO-HNS/F Board of Governors. Members of the Otolaryngology Section were instrumental in the creation of the William Harry Barnes Society. Dr. Taylor represented the Society for approximately 15 years. In this role Dr. Taylor helped start and fund the AAO-HNS/F Harry Barnes Society Endowed Leadership Grant and the Diversity Endowment. He was ultimately named Chair of the newly formed AAO-HNS Diversity Committee.

Dr. Taylor completed his otolaryngology residency at Los Angeles County King/Drew Medical Center. He has received countless recognitions and honors including the AAO-HNS Distinguished Service Award in 2014 and a Presidential Citation from Dr. Kuppersmith in 2010.