Dr. Joel Pressman

Short Biography

Joel J. Pressman, B.S., M.D., D.Sci. (Med)., surgeon, was a restless man, full of driving energy and the joy of life, with ever an engaging smile and a soft spoken quip or amusing tale to fit the situation--leaving behind a portion of laughter and cheer no matter what the crisis. He had an orderly life and each day's program was attacked with meticulous planning and single-minded purpose. Over the years, he developed a tremendous capacity for work and accomplishment, along with a well considered judgment and a truly great professional skill which was highly respected by his peers.He was modest and shy--almost self-effacing--and diffident of praise for himself, although unstinting for those whom he thought deserved it. He was fertile with imaginative ideas. He stimulated others to become involved, and then quietly withdrew to let those whom he deemed more capable carry them out because he believed in getting the job done by the best method possible.Born in Philadelphia on February 11, 1901, he attended the University of v*rginia (B.S. 1921) and Harvard Medical School (M.D. 1925). He then pursued what, for that day, was an unusually long postdoctoral training in the surgical specialty of Otolaryngology. This included such training and teaching posts as: Intern and House Physician, Bellevue Hospital (Columbia University), New York City, 1925-1927; Assistant Surgical Resident, University of California Hospital, San Francisco, 1927-1928.