{"id":4843,"date":"2021-04-21T14:33:53","date_gmt":"2021-04-21T18:33:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.hshsl.umaryland.edu\/hslupdates\/?p=4843"},"modified":"2021-04-21T14:43:53","modified_gmt":"2021-04-21T18:43:53","slug":"doctor-poet-dr-harry-m-robinson-sr-1884-1963","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.hshsl.umaryland.edu\/hslupdates\/?p=4843","title":{"rendered":"Doctor Poet: Dr. Harry M. Robinson, Sr. 1884-1963"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Health Sciences and Human Services Library Historical Collections’ strives to provide broad access to our diverse collections both in person and digitally. Materials in our collections appear as they originally were published or created and may contain offensive or inappropriate language or images and may be offensive to users. The University of Maryland, Baltimore does not endorse the views expressed in these materials. Materials should be viewed in the context in which they were created.<\/sup><\/p>\n

\"Two<\/a>Medical schools traditionally have emphasized science education over the humanities yet there is research that suggests the importance of the written word and visual arts in medical training.\u00a0 In his 2007 article in Writer<\/em>, Dr. Peter Pereira describes the value of both science and the arts in medical training, \u201c\u2026 strictly speaking, medical practice is not a science. It is an interpretive art. In health care, the ability to empathize and intuit can be just as important (even more important) in diagnosis and treatment as scientific data and logical deduction.\u201d\u00a0 Dr. Pereira argues that his abilities as a poet have made him a better doctor making him able to listen more intently to his patients and empathize with them.<\/p>\n

\"TwoWhile the School of Medicine at UMB has not had many humanities courses during its history; students and faculty have found ways to exercise their creative minds through campus groups, publications, and other avenues. Thus, UMB has seen its share of poets, musicians, and artists.\u00a0 Last year for National Poetry Month, historical collections highlighted some of these talented individuals found in its holdings in posts about the 1905 University Ode and 1904 \u201cHer Smile.\u201d\u00a0 This year the collections are highlighting the works and life of Dr. Harry M. Robinson, Sr.<\/p>\n

Dr. Robinson was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1884.\u00a0 He attended public schools in New York City as well as the Oxford School for Boys before entering New York University as a pre-med student. He entered the University of Maryland, School of Medicine in 1906.\u00a0 While a student, he played football<\/a> both collegiately and semi-professionally to earn money for Medical School.\u00a0 He was responsible for reconstituting the University\u2019s basketball team in 1907 and continued to manage the team until his graduation. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Collage<\/a>Dr. Robinson was also the president of the University\u2019s Athletic Association and served as Secretary and Vice-president of the Y.M.C.A.\u00a0 While an underclassman, Robinson was an associate editor of Old Maryland<\/em>, the University\u2019s newsletter where his poems appeared frequently as a student and later as an alumnus.\u00a0 He was also the SOM\u2019s senior class poet and editor of the Terra Mariae<\/em> Yearbook in 1909.\u00a0 As the class poet and yearbook editor, Dr. Robinson, wrote poems for each of his SOM classmates for the 1909 Terra Mariae<\/em>.\u00a0 The poem below was published in the Baltimore Sun<\/em> while Dr. Robinson was in his second year of medical school.<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/a>In 1907, while Dr. Robinson was in his second year at the University of Maryland, the school celebrated its 100th<\/sup> Anniversary.\u00a0 The Centennial Celebration included a four-day celebration complete with the first all-school graduation and a trip to the Arts and Sciences arm of the University\u2014St. John\u2019s College in Annapolis, MD.\u00a0 Dr. Robinson\u2019s poetry honored the University\u2019s birthday in the May 1907 Old Maryland <\/em>newsletter.<\/p>\n

\"Three<\/a>Dr. Robinson graduated in 1909.\u00a0 Following graduation, Dr. Robinson continued his medical education at both Hopkins and University (Maryland) Hospitals where he specialized in Dermatology and Syphilology.\u00a0 He passed his medical boards in 1933 and soon after (1937) joined the faculty as Professor of Dermatology at the University of Maryland, School of Medicine.\u00a0 He remained at Maryland until his retirement in 1954 and was an instructor in syphilology at Johns Hopkins University.\u00a0 The 1954 Terra Mariae<\/em> yearbook was dedicated to Dr. Robinson and included the following poem:<\/p>\n

\"Typewritten<\/a>Dr. Robinson married Verna Beatrice Wilson in 1909 and had two sons, Dr. Harry M. Robinson, Jr. and Dr. Raymond C.V. Robinson.\u00a0 In addition to his work in dermatology and studies in Syphilis, Dr. Robinson published six volumes of poetry, and was an avid art collector. \u00a0He served as editor in chief of the University Gazette,<\/em> the University\u2019s newsletter, from 1914 to 1915, where he continued to publish his poems. Dr. Robinson passed away in March 1963, at the time of his death, he was married to Mary V. Ryan Robinson.<\/p>\n

\"Three<\/a>Sources and Additional Reading:<\/p>\n