Benjamin Franklin and Dr. John Morgan at Medical Alumni Weekend
In his 18th-century coat, his dark breeches, his white cravat, and his three-cornered hat, he was quite a presence during this spring’s Medical Alumni Weekend. He could be glimpsed helping to carry the Perelman School of Medicine banner during the parade of classes; mingling with returning alumni at various events; hobnobbing with President Amy Gutmann and Dean J. Larry Jameson; and sharing some of the glory with another representative from the University of Pennsylvania’s long and illustrious past, Benjamin Franklin. “He” is John Morgan, MD, renowned as the chief visionary behind the creation of Penn’s medical school. In the fall of 1765, he began teaching as one of the school’s first two professors. Previous Medical Alumni Weekends have had their own attractions, but this one was special: it celebrated the school’s 250th anniversary. Clearly, Dr. Morgan’s presence was called for!
Then, in mid-August, Howard J. Eisen, MD 1981, representing the Perelman School’s Medical Alumni Advisory Council, gave brief remarks to this year’s incoming students at the White Coat ceremony. He wore a dark, pin-striped suit and no hat. When the students received their white coats, Eisen was also on stage to hand out stethoscopes, donated by Louis Matis, MD 1975. If you looked closely, however, you might have seen a resemblance between Dr. Eisen and Dr. Morgan. Indeed, they are practically one and the same.
When he is not impersonating John Morgan, Eisen is chief of the Division of Cardiology and Thomas J. Vischer Professor of Medicine at the Drexel University College of Medicine. He earned his medical degree from Penn in 1981 and did his internship and residency at HUP. Eisen has been named a “Top Doc” by Philadelphia magazine and listed as a Top Doctor in America and a Best Doctor in America. A former president of the Southeastern Pennsylvania affiliate of the American Heart Association, he has cared for more than 1,000 heart-transplant patients since 1995.
Eisen’s appearance as John Morgan during Medical Alumni Weekend was only his second time in the role. His first gig was in December 2013, when a former patient of his who was a director of Bucks County Tourism finally persuaded him to take part in the re-enactment of George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware. The re-enactment of the December 1776 event took place, naturally, at Washington’s Crossing, Pa. When Eisen arrived, he was given a uniform by the person portraying General George Washington and told he would play Dr. John Morgan, the physician-in-chief of the Continental Army. “It took me a while to figure out how to put on the uniform,” Eisen says.
Part of his role included giving a brief address on the health of Washington’s soldiers. His example: “Things are going pretty well -- one death, others recovering from frostbite and smallpox.” Eisen notes that he was not prepared the first time around; but when he was asked by members of the Penn Med’s Development office to reprise his role, he had done much more reading about Morgan. This time, he adds, Development provided the uniform, and it was much easier to put on.
Howard Eisen, MD, at the White Coat Ceremony
In his more serious incarnation as chair of the Medical Alumni Advisory Council, Eisen expresses amazement at the growth of Penn’s medical campus, its research funding, and its world-class investigators. He also notes that the effort toward developing personalized or precision medicine is accelerating at Penn and elsewhere. When asked what he believes the Perelman School should be addressing, Eisen cites the new Henry A. Jordan M’62 Medical Education Center as a great achievement. “What has remained unfinished,” he continues, is the vision of Ann and Walter Gamble, MD 1957. Their original vision was for increased accessibility to the school by making it tuition-free for all students. So far, their 21st Century Scholars Program has provided more than 220 Penn medical students with full, four-year scholarships. Eisen and his fellow alumni would like to broaden that effort.
Another person who had a great vision for the University of Pennsylvania was Benjamin Franklin. During Medical Alumni Weekend, Eisen/Morgan spent some time in Franklin’s company. “Ben was his jovial self,” says Eisen, “and was pleased to see a fellow 18th-century individual.” Eisen also reports that a number of Penn undergraduates on campus for their own graduation festivities asked to have their pictures taken with him. On the other hand, “They may have thought that I was Ben Franklin!”
Photos by Daniel Burke