| Robert A. Chase | |
| Birth Name: | Robert Arthur Chase |
| Birth Date: | January 6, 1923 |
| Birth Place: | Keene, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Surgeon |
| Education: | MD |
| Alma Mater: | University of New Hampshire |
Robert Arthur Chase (January 6, 1923 – September 9, 2024) was an American surgeon, researcher and educator.
Robert A. Chase was born in Keene, New Hampshire on January 6, 1923.[1] He obtained a Bachelor of Science from the University of New Hampshire in 1945. Due to war-time acceleration, he was able to earn an M.D. from Yale University in 1947.
After military service in the U.S. Army during World War II,[2] residency training in surgery at Yale University, and specialized training in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, Chase joined the faculty at Yale University to establish Yale's first plastic surgery section. In 1963, he was appointed as Professor and Chairman of Surgery at the Stanford University School of Medicine and was named the first Emile Holman Professor of Surgery. Upon his appointment, Chase contributed to the creation and establishment of an integrated general and plastic surgery program at Stanford.[3] This program later resulted in the establishment of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Division at Stanford University.
In 1973, Robert A. Chase took an additional role as Acting Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at Stanford University. From 1974 to 1977, Chase served as President and Director of the National Board of Medical Examiners in Philadelphia.
In 1977, Chase returned to surgery at Stanford University and assumed the position of Chief of the Division of Human Anatomy until 1992. In 1988, he became Professor of Surgery, Emeritus, and continued to teach human anatomy.
Chase received the Francis Gilman Blake Award at Yale University and eight teaching awards at Stanford University. Among the awards he received for lifetime of work were the University of New Hampshire Pettee Award; Stanford University School of Medicine Albion Walter Hewlett Award; California Medical Association The Golden Apple Award; and the Yale University Francis Gilman Blake Award.[4] His publications include 115 papers and 35 books. He also authored Atlas of Hand Surgery.[5] [6]
The Robert A. Chase Library and Museum was named after Chase. The library preserves important historical events in the American Society For Surgery of the Hand's history.[7]
Chase married his wife, Ann, and they had three children, nine grandchildren, and 15 great grandchildren. His wife, Ann, died in November 2013.
Robert A. Chase died on September 9, 2024, at the age of 101.[8]