Ebbe Curtis Hoff (August 12, 1906 in

Rexford, Kansas Rexford is a city in Thomas County, Kansas, Thomas County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 197. History Rexford was founded in approximately 1887. It was named in honor of ...

– February 17, 1985 in

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

) was chairman of the Department of Neurological Science at the

Medical College of Virginia The VCU Medical Center (VCU Health), formerly known as the Medical College of Virginia (MCV), is the medical campus of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), located in downtown Richmond, Virginia, United States. As MCV, VCU Medical Center merged ...

, founding Dean, School of Graduate Studies and founding director of the Virginia Division of Substance Abuse. He earned a bachelor's degree in Zoology summa cum laude at the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

in 1928 and a

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of Postgraduate education, graduate study and original resear ...

physiology Physiology (; ) is the science, scientific study of function (biology), functions and mechanism (biology), mechanisms in a life, living system. As a branches of science, subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ syst ...

from

St Catherine's College, Oxford St Catherine's College (colloquially called St Catz or Catz) is one of the Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford. In 1974, it was also one of the first men's colleges to admit women. It has 528 un ...

in 1932 where he studied

neurophysiology Neurophysiology is a branch of physiology and neuroscience concerned with the functions of the nervous system and their mechanisms. The term ''neurophysiology'' originates from the Greek word ''νεῦρον'' ("nerve") and ''physiology'' (whic ...

, writing his thesis on the theory of the

synapse In the nervous system, a synapse is a structure that allows a neuron (or nerve cell) to pass an electrical or chemical signal to another neuron or a target effector cell. Synapses can be classified as either chemical or electrical, depending o ...

under

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...

laureate

Sir Charles Sherrington Sir Charles Scott Sherrington (27 November 1857 – 4 March 1952) was a British neurophysiologist. His experimental research established many aspects of contemporary neuroscience, including the concept of the spinal reflex as a system involving ...

. From 1932 to 1936 he held the Alexander Browne Coxe research fellowship in the School of Medicine at

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 ...

, where he taught and conducted neurophysiologic research. He also taught at

Sarah Lawrence College Sarah Lawrence College (SLC) is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Yonkers, New York, United States. Founded as a Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in 1926, Sarah Lawrence College has been coeducational ...

. Returning to

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

he attended

medical school (United Kingdom) In the United Kingdom, medical school generally refers to a department within a university which is involved in the education of future medical practitioners. All leading British medical schools are state-funded and their core purpose is to trai ...

earning his

Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (; MBBS, also abbreviated as BM BS, MB ChB, MB BCh, or MB BChir) is a medical degree granted by medical schools or universities in countries that adhere to the United Kingdom's higher education tradi ...

Doctor of Medicine A Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated MD, from the Latin language, Latin ) is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the ''MD'' denotes a professional degree of ph ...

and

Master of Surgery The Master of Surgery (Latin: Magister Chirurgiae) is an advanced qualification in surgery. Depending upon the degree, it may be abbreviated ChM, MCh, MChir or MS. At a typical medical school the program lasts two to three years. The possessi ...

degrees and the

London Hospital Medical College The London Hospital Medical College was a medical school, medical and later dental school based at the London Hospital (later Royal London Hospital) in Whitechapel, London. Founded in 1785, it was the first purpose-built medical college in Englan ...

, finishing in 1940. Narrowly avoiding

the Blitz The Blitz (English: "flash") was a Nazi Germany, German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom, for eight months, from 7 September 1940 to 11 May 1941, during the Second World War. Towards the end of the Battle of Britain in 1940, a co ...

, he did higher risk home deliveries with midwives. Once again at Yale, he was part of the Yale Aeromedical Research Unit under

John Farquhar Fulton John Farquhar Fulton (November 1, 1899 – May 29, 1960) was an American neurophysiologist and historian of science. He received numerous degrees from Oxford University and Harvard University. He taught at Magdalen College School of Medicine at ...

, Chair of Physiology, coauthoring publications on aviation medicine. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he was commissioned Lt. Commander in the Medical Corps of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

as a flight surgeon and became a leading authority on

diving hazards and precautions Divers face specific physical and health Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functionin ...

, as well as

submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...

and

aviation medicine Aviation medicine, also called flight medicine or aerospace medicine, is a preventive or occupational medicine in which the patients/subjects are pilots, aircrews, or astronauts. The specialty strives to treat or prevent conditions to which air ...

. He authored the first comprehensive text on compressed air diving and submarine medicine. He participated in developing the modified

G-Suit A g-suit, or anti-''g'' suit, is a flight suit worn by aviators and astronauts who are subject to high levels of acceleration force ( g). It is designed to prevent a black-out and g-LOC (g-induced loss of consciousness) caused by the blood poo ...

design adopted for US Navy pilots. He took part in unsuccessful attempts to develop a

shark repellent A shark repellent is any method of driving sharks away from an area. Shark repellents are a category of animal repellents. Shark repellent technologies include magnetic shark repellent, electropositive shark repellents, electrical repellents, ...

. He also served as a Naval

Attaché In diplomacy, an attaché () is a person who is assigned ("to be attached") to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency. Although a loanword from French, in English the word is not modified ac ...

at the American Embassy, London. Because he was fluent in German, after the victory in Europe he spent time in Berlin recruiting scientist. He left active military service with the rank of

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

in 1946 but remained in the Naval Reserve. After the war, he began teaching as Professor of Physiology at the

in 1946. He was the first director of the Division of Alcohol Studies and Rehabilitation of the Virginia Health Department, founded in 1948. He continued teaching, research, administration and clinical work at the alcoholic treatment clinic housed at MCV. In collaboration with his wife Phebe Hoff, he edited a multi-volume history of ''Preventive Medicine in World War II'', which formed a part of the official history of the Medical Department of the United States Army in World War II published by the Historical Unit, U.S. Army Medical Department. In 1977, he was granted emeritus professor status. Dr. Hoff was a member of

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...

national scholastic honor society,

Sigma Xi Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society () is an international non-profit honor society for scientists and engineers. Sigma Xi was founded at Cornell University by a faculty member and graduate students in 1886 and is one of the oldest ...

science honorary society, the

American Physiological Society The American Physiological Society is a non-profit professional society for physiologists. It has nearly 10,000 members, most of whom hold doctoral degrees in medicine, physiology, or other health professions. Its mission is to support research ...

and the Medical Society of Virginia. He was a member of the Torch Club of Richmond, the Richmond Astronomical Society and St Mary's

Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United States ...

Church,

Goochland County Goochland County is a county located in the Piedmont of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its southern border is formed by the James River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,727. Its county seat is Goochland. Goochland County is inclu ...

, Virginia where he served as director of the Sunday School, senior warden and vestryman. He was also a member of

The Baker Street Irregulars The Baker Street Irregulars is an organization of Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts founded in 1934 by Christopher Morley. As of 2015, the nonprofit organization had about 300 members worldwide. The group has published ''The Baker Street Journal,'' ...

, a club of

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

devotees. He held

amateur radio Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency radio spectrum, spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emer ...

license WA4CBM. He spent many summer holidays tenting in

Westmore, Vermont Westmore is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 357 at the 2020 census, making it the least populated and least densely populated town in the county. The town contains one unincorporated village clustered aro ...

Lake Willoughby Lake Willoughby is located in the town of Westmore, Vermont, Westmore in Orleans County, Vermont, Orleans County in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, United States. The lake's southern end is surrounded by the Willoughby State Forest. This state f ...

. He was also a member of the British Astronomical Association from 1957-1957.

Selected publications

* ''Alcoholism: The Hidden Addiction'' (New York: Seabury Press, 1974) * A bibliographical sourcebook of compressed air diving and submarine medicine (Washington, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Navy Dept., 1948–1954) * A bibliography of aviation medicine (Springfield, Ill., Baltimore, Md., C.C. Thomas, 1942) * United States Army Medical Service. Preventive Medicine in World War II - a multi-volume series which he edited with his wife Phebe Margaret Hoff (Washington, DC: Office of the Surgeon General, Department of the Army) including *
Volume II. Environmental Hygiene
**

*
Volume IV. Communicable Diseases Transmitted Chiefly through Respiratory and Alimentary Tracts
*

*
Volume VII. Communicable Diseases: Arthropodborne Diseases Other than Milaria
*
Volume IX. Special Fields
* A New Holmesian Treasure Trove (The Problem of Biffley Vicarage), Novella, Baker Street Journal 14,#3-4,09-12/1964(with Phebe M. Hoff)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoff, Ebbe Curtis 1906 births 1985 deaths American physiologists Amateur radio people Alumni of the London Hospital Medical College Alumni of St Catherine's College, Oxford People from Thomas County, Kansas Yale University faculty United States Navy personnel of World War II Scientists from Kansas United States Navy officers