Past award lecturers
Our named lectures, presented each year at IDWeek, recognize the groundbreaking contributions of those for whom the memorial lectureships are named. IDSA’s continuing goal is to honor their contributions to the Society, the field of infectious diseases and public health worldwide. We are honored and thankful to have John F. Enders, PhD, Maxwell Finland, MD, DSci, Edward H. Kass, MD, and Joseph E. Smadel, MD, MA, DSci, as part of the rich history and heritage of IDSA. The legacies they each have left behind are exemplary and outstanding. They set standards that continue to challenge and inspire those involved in the work of ID today.
Maxwell Finland Lecture
Maxwell Finland, MD, DSci, served as the first president of IDSA. His prestigious medical career spanned more than 50 years at Harvard University and Boston City Hospital. He was internationally recognized for his study of the incidence and character of infectious diseases and their specific treatments. He is credited with influencing pioneering studies of antibiotic therapy and establishing early identification of new infectious hazards. The Maxwell Finland Lecture, which bears his name, was first given in 1972 by Theodore E. Woodward, MD.
Joseph E. Smadel Lecture
For 32 years, Joseph E. Smadel, MD, MA, DSci, was a physician and tireless investigator whose contributions to medical science either saved or prolonged the lives of thousands of people. At the time of his death, he was recognized as one of the outstanding versatile scientists of the mid-20th century. His research created a bridge between the basic laboratory and the physician caring for infected patients. He held the position of chief of virology and rickettsiology in the Division of Biology Standards at NIH until his death. The Smadel Lectureship, created in Dr. Smadel’s memory, was first given by D. Carleton Gajdusek, MD, in 1977.
John F. Enders Lecture
John F. Enders, PhD, served as the second president of IDSA. Dr. Enders and two of his colleagues received the 1954 Nobel Laureate in Medicine for their discovery of the ability of poliomyelitis viruses to grow in cultures of various types of tissue. This discovery led to the development of vaccines against polio, measles, rubella and mumps. His contributions, which include major advances in the field of genetics, links between viruses and cancer and insights into the pattern and process of tumor growth, are noted among the most important of the 20th century. The John F. Enders Lecture, which bears his name, was first given in 1988 by Thomas Weller, MD.
Edward H. Kass Lecture
Edward H. Kass, MD, was one of the founding leaders of IDSA. He served as the Society’s seventh president in 1970 and as the Society’s secretary from 1964 to 1967. He helped create not only IDSA but also the Channing Memorial Laboratory and the International Congress of Infectious Diseases. Dr. Kass was instrumental in revitalizing The Journal of Infectious Diseases and developing the concept for Reviews of Infectious Diseases — now Clinical Infectious Diseases. In his memory, IDSA maintains the annual Edward H. Kass Lecture and the Kass Awards, which assist medical students and residents with travel expenses to the IDSA Annual Meeting. The first Kass Lecture was given in 1991 by Theodore E. Woodward, MD.