Philip S. Hench

Philip S. Hench
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Name	Philip S. Hench
Birth date	1896-02-28
Birth place	Massillon, Ohio
Death date	1965-02-10
Death place	Rochester, Minnesota
Nationality	American
Occupation	Physician, rheumatologist
Known for	Discovery of therapeutic effects of cortisone
Awards	Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Philip S. Hench

Philip Showalter Hench was an American physician and rheumatologist whose collaborative work identifying the therapeutic effects of corticosteroids revolutionized treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. A lifelong staff member at the Mayo Clinic, Hench combined clinical observation with experimental therapeutics to demonstrate dramatic improvements in patients treated with cortisone, leading to shared recognition with colleagues. His career intersected with major institutions, notable clinicians, and landmark advances in 20th-century medicine and biomedical research.

Early life and education

Hench was born in Massillon, Ohio and raised in a family connected to regional industrialization and community institutions, later attending Washington and Jefferson College before enrolling at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine for his medical degree. He completed postgraduate training at hospitals associated with the University of Pittsburgh and undertook early clinical work that brought him into contact with physicians from the American College of Physicians and the emerging network of specialty societies. Hench’s formative years overlapped with contemporary figures and centers such as William Osler-influenced medical education, the growth of the Johns Hopkins Hospital model, and the expansion of clinical specialties exemplified by institutions like Massachusetts General Hospital and Peter Bent Brigham Hospital.

Medical career and Mayo Clinic tenure

Hench joined the staff of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and developed a career defined by clinical service at the intersection of inpatient and outpatient care. At Mayo he collaborated with clinicians and researchers affiliated with organizations including the American Medical Association, the Minnesota Medical Association, and the Rheumatism Association (later American College of Rheumatology), contributing to clinical protocols that reflected practices from centers such as the Cleveland Clinic, Stanford Hospital, and the University of Chicago Medical Center. His practice involved interactions with contemporaries linked to the National Institutes of Health, the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, and European centers like the University of Vienna and the Institut Pasteur. Hench’s role at Mayo encompassed mentorship of trainees from programs including the Residency Accreditation Committee and liaison with research staff at the Mayo Foundation and allied laboratories such as those at the Smithsonian Institution-adjacent research initiatives.

Research on corticosteroids and Nobel Prize-winning work

Hench’s investigative focus on the role of adrenal cortical hormones in rheumatic disease led to clinical trials of synthetic and extracted corticosteroids, undertaken with colleagues from the Mayo Clinic and chemists associated with pharmaceutical firms and academic laboratories. He collaborated with endocrinologists and biochemists connected to institutions like the University of Edinburgh, the Karolinska Institute, and the University of Oxford to explore mechanisms initially described by researchers at the Cortlandt Laboratory and industrial laboratories such as Upjohn and Merck & Co.. The pivotal 1949 reports documented rapid remission in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with cortisone, findings contemporaneous with hormone research by scientists at the National Academy of Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and laboratories influenced by the work of Edward Calvin Kendall and others. For this collective achievement Hench, alongside colleagues, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, an honor that placed their names among laureates from institutions such as the Karolinska Institutet and the broader community of Nobel-recognized investigators including those at Harvard Medical School, Columbia University, and the University of Cambridge.

Later career and legacy

Following the Nobel recognition, Hench continued to influence clinical practice, guidelines promulgated by bodies like the World Health Organization, and educational initiatives at centers such as the University of Minnesota, the Yale School of Medicine, and the University of California, San Francisco. His work shaped the therapeutic approaches used in specialty clinics at hospitals including Bellevue Hospital, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and European centers like the Hôpital Cochin and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Hench’s clinical observations informed later research into immunology and pharmacology at institutions such as Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the Salk Institute, and the Max Planck Society. His legacy endures in clinical guidelines endorsed by the American College of Rheumatology, training curricula at the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, and recognition from organizations including the National Medal of Science-adjacent award communities and various provincial medical societies.

Personal life and awards

Hench married and maintained personal ties to the Rochester, Minnesota community, participating in civic and professional organizations connected to institutions like the Rochester Civic Orchestra and regional chapters of national societies including the American Legion and the Mayo Clinic Historical Unit. In addition to the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, he received accolades from bodies such as the American Rheumatism Association, honorary degrees conferred by universities like Washington and Jefferson College and other academic institutions, and recognition by municipal and state authorities. Hench’s death in Rochester, Minnesota marked the passing of a clinician whose name is associated with transformative therapeutics and whose influence is cited in histories from sources spanning the History of Medicine collections at the National Library of Medicine to museum exhibits at the Smithsonian Institution.

Category:American physicians Category:Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine