About the Society

The establishment of the College of Physicians and Surgeons by five faculty members in 1881 marked the beginning of what would become the College of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago. This transformation occurred in 1913, when the faculty and staff purchased all the College`s outstanding stock and donated it to the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Their philanthropy began what is now the largest College of Medicine in the nation.

The Department of Surgery has long played a major role in the growth, prestige, and respect achieved by the UIC College of Medicine for more than 113 years. The renowned Dr. Warren H. Cole played no small part in the Department`s success. Arriving in 1936 from Washington University in St. Louis, Dr. Cole led the Department of Surgery for 30 years. He was the first full-time head of a clinical department and the only full-time faculty member in surgery. His emphasis on research promoted the mission of the College as an institution dedicated to linking scientific advances with clinical care and instruction.

A pioneer in the field of adjunctive treatments for surgical cancer patients, Dr. Cole earned the respect of his peers and students. This regard was solidified in 1959 by alumni, faculty and friends who established The Warren H. Cole Society in his honor. The Society, which is dedicated to promoting medical education and to fostering the relationship between the Department of Surgery and its alumni, remains committed to its mission and includes 400 members from around the world.

In 1967, the legacy of Dr. Cole continued under the strong leadership of Dr. Lloyd M. Nyhus. A 1947 graduate of the Medical College of Alabama, Dr. Nyhus came to the UIC College of Medicine with an important agenda. The first Warren H. Cole Professor and Head of the Department of Surgery from 1967 to 1989, Dr. Nyhus spearheaded an effort in which previously part-time surgical faculty became salaried with full-time commitments to the University. With the incorporation of the VA West Side in 1970, he increased the number of surgical residents from three to five trainees. By 1983, with the integration of Cook County Hospital, that number increased to twelve. Dr. Nyhus also enhanced the international prestige of the Department by establishing an international residency program which continues to attract surgeons from the United Kingdom, Japan, China, Brazil, Taiwan, and several other countries around the world.

Dr. Nyhus has published more than 400 scientific papers, 88 books, and 100 book chapters. Additionally, he has held offices in many major professional surgical organizations and has served on the editorial boards of several surgical journals.

One of Dr. Nyhus`s primary concerns--securing ample funding to advance the level of education, research, and patient care in the Department of Surgery--is firmly shared by his successor, Dr. Herand Abcarian. Head of the Department of Surgery since 1990, Dr. Abcarian, who also is the Turi Josefsen Professor, has maintained an active research program focusing on colon and rectal surgery in addition to his clinical and administrative responsibilities. His vision for the future of the Department includes encouraging faculty to have their own private practice and to work closely with patients It also includes enhancing the impact of the Living Institute for Surgical Studies through endowment.