Charles Alberton Janeway
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Charles Alderson Janeway (born 1909 in New York City – 1981 in
Weston, Massachusetts Weston is an affluent town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located approximately west of Boston. At the time of the 2020 United States census, the population of Weston was 11,851. Weston was incorporated in 1713, and protect ...
) was an American
pediatrician Pediatrics (American English) also spelled paediatrics (British English), is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, pediatrics covers many of their youth ...
, medical
professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...
, and clinical
researcher Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to ...
.


Early life and education

Janeway was born in 1909 in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. He came from a prominent family of physicians: His father, Theodore Caldwell Janeway, was the first full-time professor of medicine at the
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM) is the medical school of Johns Hopkins University, a Private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Established in 1893 following the construction of the Johns Ho ...
and discovered one of the first methods for measuring blood pressure. His grandfather,
Edward Gamaliel Janeway Edward Gamaliel Janeway (August 31, 1841 – February 10, 1911) was an American physician who served as Health Commissioner of New York, and as president of the New York Medical Journal Association in the late nineteenth century. He was considere ...
, served as the Health Commissioner of New York and dean of the combined New York University/Bellevue Hospital medical colleges. Edward G. Janeway also identified of Janeway lesions, which are named in his honor. Charles Janeway graduated from
Milton Academy Milton Academy (informally referred to as Milton) is a coeducational, co-educational, Independent school, independent, and College-preparatory school, college-preparatory boarding and day school in Milton, Massachusetts, educating students in g ...
in
Milton, Massachusetts Milton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Milton is an immediate southern suburb of Boston, Massachusetts. The population was 28,630 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Milton is located in the relatively hilly ...
. He graduated from
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
in 1930, where he was a member of
Skull and Bones Skull and Bones (also known as The Order, Order 322 or The Brotherhood of Death) is an undergraduate senior Secret society#Colleges and universities, secret student society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The oldest senior-class ...
. He also graduated from the
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM) is the medical school of Johns Hopkins University, a Private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Established in 1893 following the construction of the Johns Ho ...
.


Career

Janeway was physician in chief from 1946 to 1976 at
Children's Hospital Boston Boston Children's Hospital (formerly known as Children's Hospital Boston until 2013) is the main pediatric training and research hospital of Harvard Medical School, Harvard University. It is a nationally ranked, freestanding acute care children ...
. He also was Thomas Morgan Rotch Professor of Pediatrics at
Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is the third oldest medical school in the Un ...
. As a clinical researcher, he discovered the first
immunodeficiency Immunodeficiency, also known as immunocompromise, is a state in which the immune system's ability to fight infectious diseases and cancer is compromised or entirely absent. Most cases are acquired ("secondary") due to extrinsic factors that aff ...
disease.Haggerty, RJ, and Lovejoy Jr., FH.(2007) ''Charles A. Janeway: Pediatrician to the World's Children'' Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. () In 1964, Janeway worked with the provincial government in St. John's,
Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...
, Canada to establish a children's hospital. In recognition of his efforts and dedication, the hospital was named the Dr. Charles Alderson Janeway Child Health Centre. Its first location was in the former base hospital on
Pepperrell Air Force Base Pepperrell Air Force Base, previously known as Fort Pepperrell, is a decommissioned United States military base located in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Newfoundland, Canada which operated from 1 ...
which had closed several years earlier. According to a 2007 biography by physicians Robert J. Haggerty and Frederick H. Lovejoy Jr.:
"Janeway built the first department of pediatrics in the nation with subspecialties based upon the new developments in basic sciences. Janeway and his colleagues defined the
gamma globulin Gamma globulins are a class of globulins, identified by their position after serum protein electrophoresis. The most significant gamma globulins are immunoglobulins (antibodies), although some immunoglobulins are not gamma globulins, and some ...
disorders that resulted in children's increased susceptibility to infections and associated arthritic disorders. Janeway was the most visible U.S. pediatrician on the world scene in the last half of the 20th century. He traveled widely, taught modern pediatrics to thousands of physicians throughout the developing world, and brought many of them to the U.S. for further training. He was instrumental in starting teaching hospitals in
Shiraz, Iran Shiraz (; ) is the fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, which has been historically known as Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the population of the city was 1,565,572 people, and its built-u ...
, and
Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
."


Personal life and legacy

He married Elizabeth Bradley, a social worker, in 1932. They had four children: Anne, Elizabeth, Charles, and Barbara. Charles A. Janeway died at his home in Weston, Massachusetts, in 1981. His medical legacy continued to subsequent generations. His son,
Charles Janeway Charles Alderson Janeway, Jr. (February 5, 1943 – April 12, 2003) was an American immunologist who helped create the modern field of innate immunity. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, he held a faculty position at Yale Universit ...
(1943–2003), was an immunologist, noted
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
medical professor, and member of the
National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the ...
, who made significant contributions to the field of
innate immune response The innate immune system or nonspecific immune system is one of the two main immunity strategies in vertebrates (the other being the adaptive immune system). The innate immune system is an alternate defense strategy and is the dominant immune s ...
. His daughter Barbara is a nurse-practitioner in New Hampshire. Four of his granddaughters are physicians; Elizabeth Gold of Toronto and Katherine A. Janeway of Boston, are also pediatricians, Megan Janeway of Boston is a general surgeon and Hannah Janeway of Los Angeles is an emergency medicine physician representing the sixth generation of Janeway doctors.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Janeway, Charles Alderson Janeway, Dr. Charles A. Janeway, Dr. Charles A. Yale University alumni Johns Hopkins University alumni Milton Academy alumni Harvard Medical School faculty Schools in Middlesex County, Massachusetts People from Weston, Massachusetts Physicians from New York City Members of Skull and Bones Recipients of the John Howland Award