Charles D. Phelps
Encyclopedia
Charles Dexter Phelps was a prominent American
medical doctor, professor
, and researcher
in the field of ophthalmology
. The clinical studies he oversaw contributed to significant advances in the scientific understanding and surgical and pharmacological treatment of glaucoma
.
, and raised in Waterloo, Iowa
, Phelps was the eldest of four sons, all of whom became medical doctors or scientists, born to Gardner Dexter Phelps, M.D., a private-practice ophthalmologist, and Virginia Kuning Phelps.
Phelps earned his undergraduate (B.A.
, 1959; Phi Beta Kappa) and medical (M.D.
, 1963; Alpha Omega Alpha
) degrees at the University of Iowa
in Iowa City. He completed an internship at Boston City Hospital
between 1963 and 1964, and a residency there in internal medicine
in the following year. From 1965 to 1967, he served in the United States Air Force
as a doctor at Andrews Air Force Base
near Washington, D.C.
In 1967, Phelps returned to Iowa City to work for a year as an NIH postdoctoral fellow under Mansour F. Armaly
in the University of Iowa's glaucoma research laboratory, an experience that persuaded him to become a glaucoma specialist. He continued at the university as a resident in ophthalmology
from 1968 to 1971. For the following year, he was an NIH special fellow under Bernard Becker
in the department of ophthalmology at Washington University in St. Louis
.
Returning to the University of Iowa College of Medicine in 1972 to join its faculty, Phelps succeeded his mentor Armaly as director of the department of ophthalmology's glaucoma service. He attended to hundreds of patients, educated scores of medical students, and wrote dozens of articles for medical journals reporting on the findings of the medical studies he oversaw.
In 1984, after rising to the rank of full professor, Phelps was appointed chair of the university's ophthalmology department, widely recognized as one of the foremost eye clinics in the country. Soon afterward, he was diagnosed with cancer
. He died eighteen months later at the age of 47, survived by his wife Margaret Dorsey Phelps, whom he married in 1964, his four children, his parents, and his brothers. His son Christopher Phelps
is a historian and lecturer at the University of Nottingham
.
Phelps was a founding member of the American Glaucoma Society
. At its first meeting, convened in his honor in Iowa City in 1987, a Hawthorn
tree
was planted, which still stands outside the ophthalmology department, to commemorate his life and contributions. In a keynote address, Armaly described him as "a prolific contributor of new knowledge" who left a "scientific legacy admirable in its size, variety, and quality," concluding, "There is hardly an area in glaucoma that did not interest him and benefit from his research effort."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
medical doctor, professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
, and researcher
Researcher
A researcher is somebody who performs research, the search for knowledge or in general any systematic investigation to establish facts. Researchers can work in academic, industrial, government, or private institutions.-Examples of research institutions:...
in the field of ophthalmology
Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a specialist in medical and surgical eye problems...
. The clinical studies he oversaw contributed to significant advances in the scientific understanding and surgical and pharmacological treatment of glaucoma
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disorder in which the optic nerve suffers damage, permanently damaging vision in the affected eye and progressing to complete blindness if untreated. It is often, but not always, associated with increased pressure of the fluid in the eye...
.
Biography
Born in San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, and raised in Waterloo, Iowa
Waterloo, Iowa
Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the population decreased by 0.5% to 68,406. Waterloo is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the more populous of the two...
, Phelps was the eldest of four sons, all of whom became medical doctors or scientists, born to Gardner Dexter Phelps, M.D., a private-practice ophthalmologist, and Virginia Kuning Phelps.
Phelps earned his undergraduate (B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, 1959; Phi Beta Kappa) and medical (M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
, 1963; Alpha Omega Alpha
Alpha Omega Alpha
The Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, commonly called Alpha Omega Alpha and abbreviated ΑΩΑ or AOA, is a national honor society for medical students, residents, scientists and physicians in the United States and Canada.-History:...
) degrees at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
in Iowa City. He completed an internship at Boston City Hospital
Boston City Hospital
The Boston City Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, was "intended for the use and comfort of poor patients, to whom medical care will be provided at the expense of the city, and .....
between 1963 and 1964, and a residency there in internal medicine
Internal medicine
Internal medicine is the medical specialty dealing with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases. Physicians specializing in internal medicine are called internists. They are especially skilled in the management of patients who have undifferentiated or multi-system disease processes...
in the following year. From 1965 to 1967, he served in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
as a doctor at Andrews Air Force Base
Andrews Air Force Base
Joint Base Andrews is a United States military facility located in Prince George's County, Maryland. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 11th Wing, Air Force District of Washington ....
near Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
In 1967, Phelps returned to Iowa City to work for a year as an NIH postdoctoral fellow under Mansour F. Armaly
Mansour F. Armaly
Mansour F. Armaly was a Palestinian physician who was globally recognized as a pioneering researcher in the modern medical treatment of glaucoma....
in the University of Iowa's glaucoma research laboratory, an experience that persuaded him to become a glaucoma specialist. He continued at the university as a resident in ophthalmology
Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a specialist in medical and surgical eye problems...
from 1968 to 1971. For the following year, he was an NIH special fellow under Bernard Becker
Bernard Becker
Bernard Becker is professor emeritus of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the Washington University, St. Louis School of Medicine....
in the department of ophthalmology at Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
.
Returning to the University of Iowa College of Medicine in 1972 to join its faculty, Phelps succeeded his mentor Armaly as director of the department of ophthalmology's glaucoma service. He attended to hundreds of patients, educated scores of medical students, and wrote dozens of articles for medical journals reporting on the findings of the medical studies he oversaw.
In 1984, after rising to the rank of full professor, Phelps was appointed chair of the university's ophthalmology department, widely recognized as one of the foremost eye clinics in the country. Soon afterward, he was diagnosed with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. He died eighteen months later at the age of 47, survived by his wife Margaret Dorsey Phelps, whom he married in 1964, his four children, his parents, and his brothers. His son Christopher Phelps
Christopher Phelps
Christopher Phelps is an American political and intellectual historian of the twentieth century. The subjects of his research and writing include philosophical pragmatism, concepts of class and labor in social thought, the fate of the American Left and the socialist ideal, and ideas of race in...
is a historian and lecturer at the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
.
Phelps was a founding member of the American Glaucoma Society
American Glaucoma Society
The American Glaucoma Society is a subspecialty society in ophthalmology that promotes education and research about glaucoma among physicians and scientists. Founded in 1985 by thirteen original members, it now has more than 400 members.-External links:*...
. At its first meeting, convened in his honor in Iowa City in 1987, a Hawthorn
Common Hawthorn
Crataegus monogyna, known as common hawthorn or single-seeded hawthorn, is a species of hawthorn native to Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia. It has been introduced in many other parts of the world where it is an invasive weed...
tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
was planted, which still stands outside the ophthalmology department, to commemorate his life and contributions. In a keynote address, Armaly described him as "a prolific contributor of new knowledge" who left a "scientific legacy admirable in its size, variety, and quality," concluding, "There is hardly an area in glaucoma that did not interest him and benefit from his research effort."
Books
- Phelps CD, editor. Manual of Common Ophthalmic Surgical Procedures. New York: Churchill Livingstone, 1986.
Selected papers
- Alward WLM, Farrell T, Hayreh S, Kolder H, Carney B, Phelps C, et al. Five-year follow-up of the fluorouracil filtering surgery study. American Journal of Ophthalmology 1996;121(4):349-366.
- Fluorouracil Filtering Surgery Study Group, Alward WLM, Farrell T, Hayreh S, Kolder H, Carney B, et al. Three-Year Follow-Up of the Fluorouracil Filtering Surgery Study. American Journal of Ophthalmology 1993;115(1):82-92.
- Phelps CD, Corbett JJ. Migraine and Low-Tensions Glaucoma: A Case-Control Study. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 1985;26(8):1105-1108.
- Phelps CD, Hayreh SS, Montague PR. Comparison of visual field defects in the low-tension glaucomas with those in the high-tension glaucomas. Am J Ophthalmol 1984;98(6):823-5.
- Lewis RA, Phelps CD. Trabeculectomy v. Thermosclerostomy. Archives of Ophthalmology 1984;102(4):533-536.
- Lewis RA, Hayreh SS, Phelps CD. Optic Disk and Visual Field Correlations in Primary Open-angle and Low-Tension Glaucoma. American Journal of Ophthalmology 1983;96(2):148-152.
- Perkins ES, Phelps CD. Open angle glaucoma, ocular hypertension, low-tension glaucoma, and refraction. Arch Ophthalmol 1982;100(9):1464-7.
- Blondeau P, Phelps CD. Trabeculectomy vs. Thermosclerostomy. Archives of Ophthalmology 1981;99(5):810-816.
- Phelps CD. The "no treatment" approach to ocular hypertension. Surv Ophthalmol 1980;25(3):175-82.
- Phelps CD, Armaly MF. Measurement of episcleral venous pressure. Am J Ophthalmol 1978;85(1):35-42.
- Hayreh SS, March W, Phelps CD. Ocular hypotony after retinal vascular occlusion. Trans Ophthalmol Soc U K 1977;97(4):756-67.
- Perez RN, Phelps CD, Burton TC. Angle-Closure Glaucoma Following Scleral Buckling Operations. Transactions - American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology 1976;81:247-252.
- Phelps, CD. Angle-Closure Glaucoma Secondary to Ciliary Body Swelling, Archives of Ophthalmology 1974;92(4):287-290.