Bascom Headen Palmer, Jr, MD (1889-1954)

Abstract

Purpose: Most ophthalmologists in the United States recognize the name "Bascom Palmer" but few are familiar with the individual for whom the Eye Institute is named. This article reviews the biography of Bascom Headen Palmer, Jr, MD (1889-1954).

Design: Historical review.

Methods: Historical documents were reviewed, including the archives of the University of Miami, the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and other sources.

Results: Palmer, born in Lake City, Florida in 1889, was the younger son of a Florida politician. He graduated from what was then called the College of Medicine of the Tulane University of Louisiana (now the Tulane University School of Medicine) in 1914, followed by a 2-year internship at Touro Infirmary, service in the army during World War I, and finally a postgraduate course in ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania in 1923. He then moved to Miami, where he became influential in 2 new organizations: the University of Miami, founded in 1925, and the Florida Association of Workers for the Blind (now the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired), founded in 1930. He forged collaborations between these 2 organizations which eventually led to the foundation of the eponymous Eye Institute.

Conclusions: The decades-long collaboration between the Miami Lighthouse and the University of Miami, facilitated by Palmer, ultimately led to the founding of the Eye Institute.