George Spaeth

Affiliation

Wills Eye Hospital

Biography

George Link Spaeth, BA, MD I was born in Philadelphia 3 March 1932.. I attended Germantown Friends School, 1937-50, Yale College 1950-54, Harvard Medical School, 1954-59. the University of Michigan, Internship 1959-60, the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School 1960-61 and Wills Eye Hospital 1961-63. I was a Clinical Fellow at the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Blindness, 1963-65 I practiced with Edmund B and Philip G Spaeth from 1965-68, then at the Wills Eye Hospital, where I still am on the faculty (2021). My research has been largely clinical, including a system of gonioscopic grading, blood flow to the optic nerve (Ro1 NIH Grant), the Disc Damage Likelihood Scale, and the development of an online method of testing vision, The Spaeth Richman Contrast Sensitivity Test. I discovered homocystinuria, and reported its characteristics, prevalence and method of treatment. I have served on the Editorial Board of 5 Journals, Editor in Chief of Ophthalmic Surgery, and authored or edited 23 books, and around 400 articles in refereed journals. I was an Instructor at the University of Pennsylvania Dept of Ophthalmology, 1965 -1968, after which I went to Wills Eye Hospital, where I became a Professor of Ophthalmology at Temple University in 1970, and Jefferson University in 1974; In 2000 I became the Esposito Research Professor at Wills. I was Director of the Glaucoma Service from 1968 to 2011. My awards include Phi Beta Kappa,magna cum laude (Yale), Alpha Omega Alpha (Harvard). Wiesenfeld Medal (Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Lifetime Achievement Award, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Goldmann Medal International Glaucoma Research Society, Optime de Glaucomatologia Merenti. Polish Glaucoma Society, Sir Stewart Duke-Elder Award, International Glaucoma Congress, Agnostakis and Trantas Medal of Merit and Honor, Greek Glaucoma Society, Derrick Vail Award, “Number 1 most influential person in ophthalmology” by The Ophthalmologist , Outstanding Educator Award, American Glaucoma Society, Lucian Howe Medal, American Ophthalmological Society, and The Albert Schweitzer Award, Jefferson School of Population Health. I was the First President of the American Glaucoma Society, Chair of the Ethics Committee, American Academy of Ophthalmology and Member of the Ophthalmology Residency Review Committee, President of the Ophthalmology Section and a Governor of the American College of Surgeons and was Councilor, Censor and Program Chair of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. I have trained over 300 fellows who now practice in 34 countries. I received the Herbert Newberg Peace Award Presented by the Lawyers Alliance for World Security, the Class of ‘54 Meritorious Service to Yale Award, Chestnut Hill College Award for Meritorious Service to the Community. Also, I was All American Soccer honorable Mention, first Place (with Karl Spaeth) Boothbay Harbor One-Design Race Season, First Place, PA Horticultural Society City Gardens Contest -large flower and vegetable garden, and winner of the Member/Guest Tennis Tournament, Philadelphia Cricket Club. Ann Ward and I became wife and Husband in 1958, and were married until her death 2013.