1911-1993
J. Lamar Callaway was associated with Duke University Medical Center from its beginning. He graduated from the Medical School’s first class in 1933 at the age of 22 years. After training in dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania with John Stokes, he joined the faculty at Duke on July 1, 1937, as its first dermatologist.
He established the teaching program in dermatology in 1939 and was appointed professor and chairman in 1946, a position he held for almost 36 years. In 1967, he was named James B. Duke Professor of Dermatology in recognition of his unique contribution to Duke University and dermatology.
During his career, Dr. Callaway served as president of the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Dermatological Association, the American Board of Dermatology, the Association of Professors of Dermatology, and the Society of Investigative Dermatology. He authored or co-authored more than 160 scholarly publications.
In 1972, the American Academy of Dermatology awarded Dr. Callaway its Gold Medal, only the eighth awarded since the founding of the Academy in 1938. Of the more than 75 physicians Dr. Callaway trained as dermatologists, nine have become department heads at other medical schools. Under his leadership, Duke University Medical Center’s division of Dermatology achieved and maintained national recognition for excellence in patient care, teaching and research.
Revered by his patients, trainees and colleagues, Dr. Callaway made a lasting contribution to dermatology.
