Rustin McIntosh (September 29, 1894February 15, 1986) 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 ...

. From 1930 until 1960, he was the chief of pediatrics at the Babies Hospital of

NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital The NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (abbreviated as NYP) is a nonprofit academic medical center in New York City. It is the primary teaching hospital for Weill Cornell Medicine and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. The hospi ...

and the Reuben S. Carpentier Professor of Pediatrics at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

. He received the

John Howland Award The John Howland Award is the highest honor bestowed by the American Pediatric Society (APS). Named in honor of John Howland (1873–1926), the award, with its accompanying medal, is presented annually by the American Pediatric Society for "dis ...

in 1961.

Early life

McIntosh was born on September 29, 1894, in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

. He attended

Phillips Exeter Academy Phillips Exeter Academy (often called Exeter or PEA) is an Independent school, independent, co-educational, college-preparatory school in Exeter, New Hampshire. Established in 1781, it is America's sixth-oldest boarding school and educates an es ...

, graduating in 1910, and

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

, receiving a bachelor's degree in 1914 and a medical degree in 1918. After graduating from medical school, he served as a lieutenant in the

Medical Corps A medical corps is generally a military branch or staff corps, officer corps responsible for medical care for serving military personnel. Such officers are typically military physicians. List of medical corps The following organizations are exam ...

of the

United States Marines The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the Marines, maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expedi ...

for three months until the end of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. He was stationed in France and received the ''

Croix de guerre The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during World ...

''.

Career

After being discharged from the military, McIntosh worked as a

pathology Pathology is the study of disease. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in the context of modern medical treatme ...

assistant at the

Boston City Hospital The Boston City Hospital (1864–1996), in Boston, Massachusetts, was a public hospital located in the South End. It was "intended for the use and comfort of poor patients, to whom medical care will be provided at the expense of the city, and ...

. Moving to New York City, he became a medical intern at

and a

pediatric 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 ...

intern and resident at the Babies Hospital (now

Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian (MSCH or CHONY) is a women's and children's hospital at 3959 Broadway, near West 165th Street, in the Washington Heights, Manhattan, Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York C ...

). He worked in private practice in New York from 1923 and 1927, before relocating to

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

to take up a position at the

Johns Hopkins Hospital Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) is the teaching hospital and biomedical research facility of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1889, Johns Hopkins Hospital and its school of medicine are considered to be the foundin ...

under the pediatrician Edwards A. Park. In 1930, he returned to work at NewYork–Presbyterian, where he was appointed chief of pediatrics at the Babies Hospital and made a professor at

. He married

Millicent Carey McIntosh Millicent Carey McIntosh (November 30, 1898 – January 3, 2001) was an educational administrator and American feminist who led the Brearley School from 1930 to 1947, and Barnard College from 1947 to 1962. The first married woman to head one ...

in 1932; the couple had five children. McIntosh was a pediatric generalist, but as the director of pediatrics at the

Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons The Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (officially known as Columbia University Roy and Diana Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons) is the medical school of Columbia University, located at the Columbia University Irvin ...

, he assembled a department of noted pediatric subspecialists; these included

Dorothy Andersen Dorothy Hansine Andersen (May 15, 1901 – March 3, 1963) was the American physician and researcher who first identified and named cystic fibrosis. During her almost thirty year tenure at Babies Hospital of Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center ...

(pathology),

Hattie Alexander Hattie Elizabeth Alexander (April 5, 1901 – June 24, 1968) was an American pediatrician and microbiologist. She earned her M.D. from Johns Hopkins University in 1930 and continued her research and medical career at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospita ...

(infectious disease),

William Silverman William Aaron Silverman (October 23, 1917 – December 16, 2004) was an American physician who made important contributions to neonatology. He held academic positions at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and served as the medi ...

(neonatology), and

John Caffey John Patrick Caffey (March 30, 1895 – September 2, 1978) was an American pediatrician and radiologist who is often referred to as one of the founders of pediatric radiology. He was the first to describe shaken baby syndrome, infantile cortic ...

(radiology). McIntosh published numerous research articles on

congenital malformation A birth defect is an abnormal condition that is present at childbirth, birth, regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disability, disabilities that may be physical disability, physical, intellectual disability, intellectual, or dev ...

s, chaired a council on

rheumatic fever Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammation#Disorders, inflammatory disease that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain. The disease typically develops two to four weeks after a Streptococcal pharyngitis, streptococcal throat infection. Si ...

, and was involved in several international congresses on

poliomyelitis Poliomyelitis ( ), commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 75% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe ...

. He and L. Emmett Holt, Jr. (son of

Luther Emmett Holt Luther Emmett Holt (L. Emmett Holt, March 4, 1855 – January 14, 1924) was an American pediatrician and author, noted for writing ''The Care and Feeding of Children: A Catechism for the Use of Mothers and Children's Nurses'' in 1894. Born near ...

) were the editors of select editions of the textbooks ''Holt's Diseases of Infancy and Childhood'' (10th and 11th editions, 1933 and 1940) and ''Pediatrics'' (12th and 13th editions, 1953 and 1962). In 1953–1954, he served as president of the

American Pediatric Society The American Pediatric Society (APS) is the first pediatric society established in North America. Created in 1887, the APS pursues a vision of an engaged, inclusive, and impactful community of pediatric thought leaders. The APS mission is to shape t ...

and in 1961, he was awarded the

, the highest honor given by the society. McIntosh retired from medical practice 1960 and became a professor emeritus at Columbia.

Death

McIntosh died on February 15, 1986, aged 91, in

Tyringham, Massachusetts Tyringham is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 427 at the 2020 census. History Founded as Housatonic Township Number 1, th ...

. A collection of his papers is held at Columbia University's Health Sciences Library.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McIntosh, Rustin 1894 births 1986 deaths American pediatricians Columbia Medical School faculty NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital physicians American recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) People from Omaha, Nebraska Phillips Exeter Academy alumni Harvard Medical School alumni Recipients of the John Howland Award