BPC WEB | Biomed Program | Biomed History


	1968-1974 Excerpts from Professor Emeritus Nile Root (d), MS, RBP, FBPA Early in 1968, the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) authorized numerous grants designed to support and enhance the preparation of health-related professions. The RIT grant office applied for a grant to train biomedical photographers in view of the extensive facilities in the School of Photographic Arts and Sciences (SPAS) currently held as well as the technical expertise of the faculty. A grant was funded for approximately $280,000 over a three-year period to begin in August 1968. Professor William Shoemaker, Director of SPAS, assumed responsibility for the grant writing and he approached Nicholas Graver, RBP, FBPA, then the director of the Biomedical Photography Department of the University of Rochester (U of R), to seek advice and recommendations for the new curriculum. The Program Comes Together An initial meeting was held in the summer of 1968 at the University of Rochester Biomedical Photographic Department. The individuals present at that meeting were Nicholas Graver, William deVeer also from the University, RIT representatives John Trauger, David Engdahl and William Shoemaker. William deVeer was the Chief Medical Photographer under Mr. Graver. John Trauger was being considered to direct the RIT Biomed program and David Engdahl was the Associate Director of SPAS. It is possible that Mr. deVeer may not have been at this meeting, but he did serve as a "sounding board" for Graver as he pondered and discussed the program and its curriculum over the next months. A second meeting was held at the downtown and original RIT campus, which was located in downtown Rochester, between Mr. Graver and Professor Shoemaker. At that time, Graver introduced Shoemaker to his curriculum ideas and most probably gave him the Biological Photographic Association (BPA) Study Guide, which had just been published by the BPA. The guide had been designed to assist medical photographers to prepare for the certification exam required to become a Registered Biological Photographer (RBP). H Lou Gibson was a vital contributor to this examination program and also participated in the RIT program creation. The guide had been principally developed by deVeer with the assistance of numerous BPA members in the field including Nile Root, who became associated with the RIT program in 1972. Mr. deVeer was also responsible for the editing of the guide. As noted below, the BPA study guide became a significant influence in the RIT program. The First Faculty On August 1, 1968, SPAS Director William Shoemaker, with HEW approval, appointed Associate Professor John Trauger director of the HEW grant. He was assigned the task of developing an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree program in medical photography. Fred Sponholz, an Assistant Professor, assisted Professor Trauger in the daily operations of the fledgling program. Trauger and Sponholz were formerly in the Industrial Photography program, which was housed in the Professional Photography Department of School of Photographic Arts & Sciences. The industrial program had a low enrollment at that time and these two faculties could be moved without too much hardship to the industrial students. Trauger was to coordinate the Biomedical Photography program while Sponholz was to develop its curriculum. Subsequently, the description of the RIT Biomedical Photography program and the curriculum outlines were published. In August 1968, Nicholas Graver introduced the RIT program to the BPA at their annual meeting in Los Angeles, California. Nile Root was in the audience and remembers Graver's presentation well. Like many BPA members, Root at first, looked upon the RIT program as a threat to his career and the field since most practitioners of this field were trained on the job by practicing biomedical photographers and were not formally educated. In 1968 and 1969, with a well-endowed travel budget from the grant, Trauger traveled around the country visiting various medical photography departments and Trauger also spent a great deal of time with Graver and deVeer at the U of R to become more familiar with the field. In addition, Trauger consulted with many well-known biomedical photographers before the program delivered its first classes. From Rochester, these visits included Martha Bruening, Chief Photographer of Rochester General Hospital and H. Lou Gibson of Eastman Kodak. Gibson was affectionately known as the "father of medical photography." In addition, according to a report to HEW in 1970, 19 faculty and staff personnel from RIT were consulted or involved in the development of the curriculum. In April 1969, the RIT Biomedical Photography program was announced to the BPA in the Journal of the Biological Photographic Association (Volume 37, Number 3). Graver suggested a student internship program to Trauger, who assigned Sponholz to write the specifications. It was soon implemented with nation-wide participation. Graver also agreed to participate in the internship program himself after receiving the U of R administration approval. For many years, a student from the RIT program interned at the U of R Biomedical Photography Department during the summer, between their first and second year. Subsequently, Graver also agreed to teach the course " Survey of Biomedical Photography " a course he designed specifically for the Biomed program. Forming the Classes The first class of Biomedical Photography I was taught in September 1969 by Professor Sponholz. In 1970, he taught with Professor Trauger and also taught the second year class, Biomedical Photography II, using the Biomed Lab for experiments. By 1971, Trauger taught Biomedical Photography I by himself and Sponholz taught Biomedical Photography II. Graver had recruited Robert Wabnitz, head of the Medical Illustration Department at the U of R, to create a course called The Preparation of Biomedical Visuals. Wabnitz first taught the course to second year students in 1970. In January 1970, Trauger and Sponholz published in the Journal of the Biological Photographic Association (Volume 38, Number 1) the results of a survey that they had conducted in 1969 under the auspices of the HEW grant. The survey dealt with education and salaries of biomedical photographers who were members of the BPA. The Program's Evolution In 1971, a second grant was awarded to RIT to develop a baccalaureate degree program in Biomedical Photographic Communications. A RIT committee with several outside consultants had been formed to prepare the grant application. This grant was for approximately $274,000 for a five-year period. Trauger was appointed grant director. In June 1972, Trauger attended the BPA regional meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada where he again met Nile Root, who at the time lived in Denver, Colorado. Root was director of his own business, Photography for Science. Trauger asked Root if he would introduce him to medical photographers in Denver hospitals. Root agreed and a few days later reserved a motel room near his home, which was also near several Denver hospitals. In a three-day period, Root took Trauger to the University of Colorado Medical Center photography department, as well as departments in the Veteran's Hospital, Rose Memorial Medical Center, and the Children's Hospital. A week after Trauger returned to Rochester, Sponholz resigned from the Biomed program to return to the Industrial program. This created a desperate situation for program because the 1972 Fall Quarter was soon to start in early September and there was no one to teach the 24 students in the second year. Trauger had related his Denver experience to SPAS Director Shoemaker and Shoemaker gave Nile Root a phone call to see if he would be interested in a faculty appointment. By chance, the Root family was looking to move from Denver and Root flew to Rochester to interview. Root was an immediate hit with the College Dean, Dr. Lothar Engelmann because both were interested in light microscopy. He was also impressed with Root's publications, in particular, the chapter on Light Microscopy, which had been published in a recent medical textbook. After a 4-hour interview, Professor Shoemaker made an offer to Nile Root, which he accepted on the spot. Needless to say, Shoemaker and Engelmann were eager to have an experienced professional from the biocommunications field. Root moved his family from Denver to Rochester in July 1972. Root arrived at RIT in August 1972, which began his 12-year career. Among the descriptions of the course, Biomedical Photography II, he learned the first quarter was devoted to photomicrography, the second quarter to the use of the microscope and the third quarter to independent projects. Along with much expensive equipment, most of the fourteen microscopes in the Biomed Lab were pristine. Using these resources, Root developed courses from scratch as he went. The SPAS curriculum committee approved the baccalaureate program Biomedical Photographic Communications in the fall 1972. In the summer of 1973 Root met Martin Scott at the annual meeting of the BPA in Richmond, Virginia. Scott was with the Scientific Consultant group at Kodak in Rochester so Root invited Scott to become involved with the Biomed program. Scott's significant contributions over the years were greatly appreciated by Root, as well as by the Biomed students, which had a dramatic impact on the RIT Biomed program. On December 20, 1973, Professor Root accepted the appointment to head the program and on March 1, 1974, Paul Miller, President of RIT, appointed him director of the grant after HEW approval. Although the funding ceased after one year, Root applied for a new grant and almost $94,000.00 was awarded. Funding ceased in 1977, but Nile Root remained head of the program from December 1973 to May 1986, for over 12 years. Panoramic Image of the biomedical lab in 1985.
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1968-1974
Excerpts from Professor Emeritus Nile Root (d), MS, RBP, FBPA

Early in 1968, the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) authorized numerous grants designed to support and enhance the preparation of health-related professions. The RIT grant office applied for a grant to train biomedical photographers in view of the extensive facilities in the School of Photographic Arts and Sciences (SPAS) currently held as well as the technical expertise of the faculty. A grant was funded for approximately $280,000 over a three-year period to begin in August 1968. Professor William Shoemaker, Director of SPAS, assumed responsibility for the grant writing and he approached Nicholas Graver, RBP, FBPA, then the director of the Biomedical Photography Department of the University of Rochester (U of R), to seek advice and recommendations for the new curriculum.

The Program Comes Together
An initial meeting was held in the summer of 1968 at the University of Rochester Biomedical Photographic Department. The individuals present at that meeting were Nicholas Graver, William deVeer also from the University, RIT representatives John Trauger, David Engdahl and William Shoemaker. William deVeer was the Chief Medical Photographer under Mr. Graver. John Trauger was being considered to direct the RIT Biomed program and David Engdahl was the Associate Director of SPAS. It is possible that Mr. deVeer may not have been at this meeting, but he did serve as a "sounding board" for Graver as he pondered and discussed the program and its curriculum over the next months.

A second meeting was held at the downtown and original RIT campus, which was located in downtown Rochester, between Mr. Graver and Professor Shoemaker. At that time, Graver introduced Shoemaker to his curriculum ideas and most probably gave him the Biological Photographic Association (BPA) Study Guide, which had just been published by the BPA. The guide had been designed to assist medical photographers to prepare for the certification exam required to become a Registered Biological Photographer (RBP). H Lou Gibson was a vital contributor to this examination program and also participated in the RIT program creation.

The guide had been principally developed by deVeer with the assistance of numerous BPA members in the field including Nile Root, who became associated with the RIT program in 1972. Mr. deVeer was also responsible for the editing of the guide. As noted below, the BPA study guide became a significant influence in the RIT program.

The First Faculty
On August 1, 1968, SPAS Director William Shoemaker, with HEW approval, appointed Associate Professor John Trauger director of the HEW grant. He was assigned the task of developing an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree program in medical photography.

Fred Sponholz, an Assistant Professor, assisted Professor Trauger in the daily operations of the fledgling program. Trauger and Sponholz were formerly in the Industrial Photography program, which was housed in the Professional Photography Department of School of Photographic Arts & Sciences. The industrial program had a low enrollment at that time and these two faculties could be moved without too much hardship to the industrial students.

Trauger was to coordinate the Biomedical Photography program while Sponholz was to develop its curriculum. Subsequently, the description of the RIT Biomedical Photography program and the curriculum outlines were published. In August 1968, Nicholas Graver introduced the RIT program to the BPA at their annual meeting in Los Angeles, California. Nile Root was in the audience and remembers Graver's presentation well. Like many BPA members, Root at first, looked upon the RIT program as a threat to his career and the field since most practitioners of this field were trained on the job by practicing biomedical photographers and were not formally educated.

In 1968 and 1969, with a well-endowed travel budget from the grant, Trauger traveled around the country visiting various medical photography departments and Trauger also spent a great deal of time with Graver and deVeer at the U of R to become more familiar with the field. In addition, Trauger consulted with many well-known biomedical photographers before the program delivered its first classes. From Rochester, these visits included Martha Bruening, Chief Photographer of Rochester General Hospital and H. Lou Gibson of Eastman Kodak. Gibson was affectionately known as the "father of medical photography." In addition, according to a report to HEW in 1970, 19 faculty and staff personnel from RIT were consulted or involved in the development of the curriculum.

In April 1969, the RIT Biomedical Photography program was announced to the BPA in the Journal of the Biological Photographic Association (Volume 37, Number 3).

Graver suggested a student internship program to Trauger, who assigned Sponholz to write the specifications. It was soon implemented with nation-wide participation. Graver also agreed to participate in the internship program himself after receiving the U of R administration approval. For many years, a student from the RIT program interned at the U of R Biomedical Photography Department during the summer, between their first and second year. Subsequently, Graver also agreed to teach the course " Survey of Biomedical Photography " a course he designed specifically for the Biomed program.

Forming the Classes
The first class of Biomedical Photography I was taught in September 1969 by Professor Sponholz. In 1970, he taught with Professor Trauger and also taught the second year class, Biomedical Photography II, using the Biomed Lab for experiments. By 1971, Trauger taught Biomedical Photography I by himself and Sponholz taught Biomedical Photography II.

Graver had recruited Robert Wabnitz, head of the Medical Illustration Department at the U of R, to create a course called The Preparation of Biomedical Visuals. Wabnitz first taught the course to second year students in 1970.
In January 1970, Trauger and Sponholz published in the Journal of the Biological Photographic Association (Volume 38, Number 1) the results of a survey that they had conducted in 1969 under the auspices of the HEW grant. The survey dealt with education and salaries of biomedical photographers who were members of the BPA.

The Program's Evolution
In 1971, a second grant was awarded to RIT to develop a baccalaureate degree program in Biomedical Photographic Communications. A RIT committee with several outside consultants had been formed to prepare the grant application. This grant was for approximately $274,000 for a five-year period. Trauger was appointed grant director.

In June 1972, Trauger attended the BPA regional meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada where he again met Nile Root, who at the time lived in Denver, Colorado. Root was director of his own business, Photography for Science. Trauger asked Root if he would introduce him to medical photographers in Denver hospitals. Root agreed and a few days later reserved a motel room near his home, which was also near several Denver hospitals. In a three-day period, Root took Trauger to the University of Colorado Medical Center photography department, as well as departments in the Veteran's Hospital, Rose Memorial Medical Center, and the Children's Hospital.

A week after Trauger returned to Rochester, Sponholz resigned from the Biomed program to return to the Industrial program. This created a desperate situation for program because the 1972 Fall Quarter was soon to start in early September and there was no one to teach the 24 students in the second year. Trauger had related his Denver experience to SPAS Director Shoemaker and Shoemaker gave Nile Root a phone call to see if he would be interested in a faculty appointment. By chance, the Root family was looking to move from Denver and Root flew to Rochester to interview.

Root was an immediate hit with the College Dean, Dr. Lothar Engelmann because both were interested in light microscopy. He was also impressed with Root's publications, in particular, the chapter on Light Microscopy, which had been published in a recent medical textbook. After a 4-hour interview, Professor Shoemaker made an offer to Nile Root, which he accepted on the spot. Needless to say, Shoemaker and Engelmann were eager to have an experienced professional from the biocommunications field. Root moved his family from Denver to Rochester in July 1972.
Root arrived at RIT in August 1972, which began his 12-year career. Among the descriptions of the course, Biomedical Photography II, he learned the first quarter was devoted to photomicrography, the second quarter to the use of the microscope and the third quarter to independent projects. Along with much expensive equipment, most of the fourteen microscopes in the Biomed Lab were pristine. Using these resources, Root developed courses from scratch as he went. The SPAS curriculum committee approved the baccalaureate program Biomedical Photographic Communications in the fall 1972. In the summer of 1973 Root met Martin Scott at the annual meeting of the BPA in Richmond, Virginia. Scott was with the Scientific Consultant group at Kodak in Rochester so Root invited Scott to become involved with the Biomed program. Scott's significant contributions over the years were greatly appreciated by Root, as well as by the Biomed students, which had a dramatic impact on the RIT Biomed program.

On December 20, 1973, Professor Root accepted the appointment to head the program and on March 1, 1974, Paul Miller, President of RIT, appointed him director of the grant after HEW approval. Although the funding ceased after one year, Root applied for a new grant and almost $94,000.00 was awarded. Funding ceased in 1977, but Nile Root remained head of the program from December 1973 to May 1986, for over 12 years.

Panoramic Image of the biomedical lab in 1985.