CINCINNATI — One of Dr. Evelyn Hess's protégés wondered if the pioneering doctor ever slept.
Hard to fathom when she did sleep between creating and then running the Division of Immunology, Allergy and Rheumatology at University of Cincinnati's College of Medicine. She also tended to patients suffering from lupus and other serious diseases. Oh, and she lobbied state officials in Columbus and federal officials in Washington to expand patient rights.
"I used to think that she didn't sleep because she was always reading, and she was always at work before anyone else," Dr. Michael Luggen said.
Hess, 90, died on Christmas Day. She left behind a legacy of research and innovation that earned her an international reputation.
"That's just the way she was. She just was very interested in her work, and she always liked to do well," said her husband, Dr. Michael Howett.
"Forward Thinker"
Hess grew up in Dublin, Ireland, where she developed an insatiable curiosity for research and medicine. That led her to earn a medical degree from University College in Dublin, followed by rheumatology fellowships at the Royal Free Hospital and Medical School in London.
Her exemplary work caught the attention of University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, where she completed another fellowship.
Hess' professional climb continued when UC recruited her to found a rheumatology division at its college of medicine in 1964. She led the division for the next 31 years.
Luggen, who was influenced by Hess to pursue a rheumatology specialization, said she came up with the innovation to broaden the name and focus of the department to include allergy and immunology, which are closely linked to many forms of rheumatism.
"She was one of the first to combine allergy with rheumatism," Luggen said.
Hess became an expert in the study of lupus, a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage internal organs, skin and joints. She was an early leader in linking environmental factors to some people developing lupus.
Long before the Internet revolutionized the way people access information, she recognized the value of collecting data on rare diseases. So she bought a Commodore 64, one of the first home computers.
Hess was a founding member of the American Rheumatism Medical Information System, the first organization to create and use a multinational, computerized database of patients with rheumatic diseases.
Trailblazer for Women
Howett and Luggen both said Hess rarely, if ever, made a point about being a woman in a profession that was dominated by men early in her career. Nevertheless, she was a trailblazer.
"I think in some respects she had to be better than men of her era because of that bias against women," Luggen said. "She didn't necessarily do it for women, but she did set precedents in many respects."
"I think she was just driven by the need to know, the need to achieve, and that's what drove her," he said.
Second Family
After her rapid climb through academia in Dublin, London and Dallas, Hess found her permanent home at UC for the last 52 years of her life.
"She was achieving whatever she wanted to achieve, and she liked it there," Howett said.
Luggen said the medical students whom Hess mentored became a second family to her. Hess kept in close contact with her protégés and kept tabs on their professional progress.
"All the trainees were her children, and she kept track diligently of their careers," he said.
Her Legacy
Dr. Hess at the unveiling of her portrait at UC. Photo courtesy of UC.
Hess left her estate to lupus research at UC, Luggen said.
Her division grew from two faculty members to 12, and her name will live on through three positions and awards:
• The Evelyn V. Hess Chair for Lupus Research at UC
• The Evelyn V. Hess Master Teacher Award given to physician teachers by the Ohio Chapter of the American College of Physicians
• The Evelyn V. Hess MD Research Award to honor researchers whose life's work has advanced understanding of causes and treatment of lupus, given by the Lupus Foundation of America
