David G. McLone Receives 2009 Ingraham Award

Jack Walker, MD

Frank McClone, MD

Dr. McLone has been a lifelong participant in the neurosurgical care of children, with particular emphasis on dysraphism. He has produced 103 book chapters, has had 22 research grants, and produced 171 peer reviewed journal publications (over 120 of them on dysraphism). He was instrumental in the establishment of the journal Pediatric Neuroscience (which became Pediatric Neurosurgery), and was editor in chief for many years. He was the editor for the fourth edition of our section’s textbook of Pediatric Neurosurgery.

Dr. McLone has been a fixture on the Chicago neurosurgical scene, training and practicing with another of our early leaders in pediatric neurosurgery, Anthony Raimondi, MD. Dr. McLone was the long-standing chair of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago and has trained over 20 fellows. He was the first David G. McLone Professor of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Northwestern University, and he still found time to serve as chief of surgery at Children's Memorial.

Dr. McLone has been a leader of all the major pediatric neurosurgical organizations. He was among the founders of the American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons in 1978 and was that group's seventh president. He was chair of the Pediatric Section from 1987 to 1989, and president of the International Society of Pediatric Neurosurgery in 1996. Dr. McLone was among the founders of the American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery in 1991.

Dr. McLone's dedication to his patients has never wavered. He has always placed the children first, starting with his confrontations with those suggesting "selection criteria" in the care of children with myelomeningocele. As his patients have grown up, he has continued to advocate for them. Most recently, he has spearheaded the establishment of a permanent camp for children with dysraphism, to begin their lifelong process of gaining independence. He was the driving force behind the building of a unique transitional living facility for people with spina bifida, the Anixter Village, which offers accessible and affordable housing combined with programs to help them achieve independent living.

The Pediatric Section is proud to recognize Dr. David McLone for all of these achievements and his lifelong dedication to pediatric neurosurgery.

Adapted with permission from the award presentation by Jack Walker, MD, to David G. McLone, MD, PhD, in Boston, Mass., December 2009.