Monroe Cole, MD, Georgetown University 1957

Area:

Website:

Google:

Bio:

Neurology

Issue: Volume 70(24, Part 1 of 2), 10 June 2008, p 2276
Copyright: (C)2008AAN Enterprises, Inc.
Publication Type: [In Memoriam]
DOI: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000314659.22350.9c
ISSN: 0028-3878
Accession: 00006114-200806100-00004

[In Memoriam]

Monroe Cole, MD (1933-2008)

Daroff, Robert B. MD; Landis, Dennis M.D. MD

----------------------------------------------

Dr. Monroe Cole, Emeritus Professor of Neurology at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine, died of congestive heart failure on January 28, 2008, at the age of 74.

Monroe received his BA from Amherst College and MD from Georgetown University in 1957. He had 2 years of Internal Medicine training at Seton Hall before becoming a resident in Neurology and Neuropathology at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he stayed until 1962. While at the MGH, he participated in clinical studies that resulted in several seminal publications.1-3 He then entered the US Army Medical Corps and spent 3 years doing neuroanatomic research under the legendary W.J.H. Nauta at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. Following his military obligation, he joined the faculty of Bowman Gray School of Medicine. He was elected to membership in the American Neurological Association in 1970.

In 1976, he joined the CWRU faculty as Associate Professor of Neurology and Chief of Neurology at the Highland View Hospital, an affiliated rehabilitation facility. Due to a reorganization of the affiliation, he lost his position and went into private practice in Cleveland, but remained active on the CWRU clinical faculty, attending clinics and supervising residents. In 1989, he rejoined the full-time faculty and was promoted to Professor of Neurology in 1993. In addition to receiving letters supporting his promotion from all the senior neurologists and neuroscientists at CWRU, letters of recommendation came from a distinguished array of American neurologists, including Barry Arnason, J.
Richard Baringer, David Drachman, C. Miller Fisher, Richard Johnson, E. Pierson Richardson, and James Toole.

Monroe was critically important in resident training. He excelled in teaching the neurologic examination and the approach to clinical decision making. He conveyed, by example, the importance of detailed inquiry and diligence on behalf of his patients. Current and future residents will continue to benefit from Monroe's approach, which is immortalized in his recent book on the neurologic history and examination.4 While a demanding teacher, he was also a gentle friend who delighted in providing pony cart rides for the children of his trainees and colleagues.

His research was wide ranging. He was interested in Pierre Marie's contributions to aphasia 5 and published an English translation of Marie's papers with his linguistically talented wife, Meg.6 He also wrote on the biology and neurology of vitamin B12.7

Consequent to visual dysfunction related to a cerebral embolism, which Monroe graphically described in an article with a captivating title,8 he retired from active practice and became Emeritus Professor in 2000. Nevertheless, although he could not care for patients or supervise residents, he actively participated in resident teaching at the Brain Cutting Conference.

Monroe Cole, the true polymath, consummate clinician-educator, neuroanatomist, dog trainer, hunter, horseman, and storyteller, was a "neurologist for all seasons," who will be missed by all who knew and admired him. He is survived by his loving wife Meg, three daughters, a son, two granddaughters, and his neurologist brother, Malvin.

1. Cole M, Richardson EP, Segarra JM. Central pontine myelinolysis. Neurology 1964;14:165-170. Request Permissions Buy Now Bibliographic Links

2. Fisher CM, Cole M. Homolateral ataxia and crural paresis: a vascular syndrome. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1965;28:48-55. Bibliographic Links

3. Victor M, Adams RD, Cole M. The acquired (non-Wilsonian) type of chronic hepatocerebral degeneration. Medicine 1965;44:345-396. Request Permissions Bibliographic Links

4. Cole M. The Neurological History and Examination: A Manual for Students and House Officers. New York: Vantage Press; 2006.

5. Cole M. The anatomical basis of aphasia as seen by Pierre Marie. Cortex 1968;4:172-183.

6. Cole ME, Cole M. Pierre Marie's Papers on Speech Disorders. New York:
Stechert and Hafner; 1971.

7. Cole M. Neurological manifestations of vitamin B12 deficiency. In: Goetz CG, Aminoff MJ, eds. Handbook of Clinical Neurology, Vol. 70 (revised series 26):
Systemic Diseases, Part II. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science BV; 1998: 367-405.

8. Cole M. When the left brain is not right the right brain may be left: report of personal experience of occipital hemianopia. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1999;67:169-173.

http://blog.cleveland.com/medical/2008/02/monroe_cole_cwru_professor_eme.html
(Show less)

Mean distance: 106866