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Hiram C. Polk, Jr, MD

Arch Surg. 2005;140:1032-1033.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

INTRODUCTION

Claude Organ was a massively influential surgeon and American. His tributes are numerous and wide-ranging, each reflecting the unique views of his eulogist and each person’s relationship to Dr Organ. One comment does deserve correction; he has been incorrectly described as having a very strong ego. From my long friendship, I believe he cloaked this ego, if it existed, in the softest velvet glove I can ever imagine.

I choose to stress what I consider to be Dr Organ’s most consistent and compelling characteristic and the personal diplomacy by which he pursued this good: "What is the right thing?" I first came to know Dr Organ well almost 3 decades ago when he and I were representing different surgical organizations with differing points of view about a matter in surgical education. "Interesting, but probably not important; here today, gone tomorrow; possibly a petty problem magnified . . . [Full Text of this Article]

AUTHOR INFORMATION

Author Affiliations: Price Institute of Surgical Research, Department of Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Ky.