Jordan Gutterman and Adam Gutterman
Recorded
August 12, 2012
Archived
August 12, 2012
42:51 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id:
sfb001943
Description
Jordan Gutterman (73) talks with his son Adam Gutterman (35) about his career in medicine, the illnesses in his family that motivated him to seek treatments and cures in a clinical setting and how he continues to be energized by the prospects for research.Subject Log / Time Code
J grew up in South East South Dakota where his Russian immigrant grandfather settled 100 years ago.
J's parents met on a streetcar, then settled in Flandreu, SD, where the family had a grocery store and they raised J and his two brothers.
J's parents stressed the importance of learning, public school education as well as Jewish education. They attended a synagogue in Sioux Falls and high school in Flandreu.
J's interest in medicine began when his father suffered a massive heart attack which he recovered from. J was also affected by the death of his uncle from lung cancer. J's mother made a habit of visiting the sick and brought along J.
The family moved to Norfolk, VA, which had a larger Jewish community and better weather. J graduated from high school there and then went on to the University of Virginia where he developed and interest in clinical medicine, particularly blood diseases and cancer.
After an internship and fellowship at Duke University, J moved to Texas in the early 1970's.
J served at Brook Army Hospital in San Antonio, Texas in the early days of chemotherapy and found a mentor in Emil Freireich, who inspired a passionate concern for treating cancer and was affiliated with the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
J and his wife had three children, one born in Norfolk and two in Texas.
In 1974, J's father developed congestive heart failure and passed away in April 1974. J recalls the last time he saw his father and kissed him goodbye. His father saw all of his family before passing away on the first day of Passover.
In May of 1974, J got a call about a Mary Lasker, a pivotal person in his career, a philanthropist who founded the Lasker Awards for medical research in 1945. Emil Freireich, J's mentor, was a winner of the award.
J was able to earn a Lasker Award for his work with interferon, a drug that was promising in treating cancer.
At the Anderson Cancer Center, J became intrigued with the use of plants, particularly desert plants, in developing new medicines. J now is working with stem cells and pharmacology.
In 2008 J wrote an essay about how important it is to work on the development of new treatments and approaches.
Participants
- Jordan Gutterman
- Adam Gutterman