The University of Iowa has had a college of medicine for 150 years, but it was not until 1925 that Ophthalmology was separated from Otolaryngology to become a department in its own right. This step was prompted in part by the plans to build a grand new University Hospital on the West side of the river. In 1925 Dean L.W. Dean recruited Cecil Starling O'Brien from Indiana to be the first head of the Ophthalmology Department.

In 1938 O'Brien asked P.J. Leinfelder, one of his former residents, to head a neuro-ophthalmology section in the department. Leinfelder was one of a very small group of Americans including David G Cogan, Frank B Walsh, Donald Lyle, and Wilbur Rucker who were starting to publish papers on clinical neuro-ophthalmology, an area that was just beginning to be thought of as a subject worthy of legitimate full-time subspecialization. Leinfelder always thought of himself as a general ophthalmologist with an interest in neuro-ophthalmology. He was available to the residents and to the surrounding medical community for consultation on neuro-ophthalmic questions until he retired in 1978.

In 1967, Dr Alson E. Braley, the retiring head of the department and the new head, Fred C. Blodi, hired H. Stanley Thompson as a neuro- ophthalmologist, and in 1968, ophthalmology residents started to do a 3 month full time rotation on the neuro-ophthalmology service.

Dr. Thompson teaching residents, 1968

The University of Iowa Department of Neurology was founded in 1919 with Clarence Van Epps as Head. At the time there were only two other University Neurology Departments in America. Dr Van Epps was followed by Adolph Sahs who was head of the department until 1971. In the 1950's and early 60's Dr Blodi and Dr Van Allen had a fruitful research collaboration doing their pioneering work on the electromyography of the extraocular muscles.

In 1977, the third head of the Neurology Department, Maurice W Van Allen, hired James J. Corbett as a neuro-ophthalmologist, and through 1990 Drs Thompson and Corbett worked together to run a 3-lane Neuro- ophthalmology Clinic, located in the Eye Clinic, 5 days a week.

Drs. Thompson and Corbett

Dr. Thompson took a special interest in the workings of the pupil of the eye, and Dr. Corbett became expert in pseudotumor cerebri.

In 1989 Dr. Kardon joined the Ophthalmology faculty as a neuro ophthalmologist with a keen research interest in pupillary function, and Dr. Patricia Johnston joined the Neurology faculty to see headache patients and do neuro-ophthalmology.

In 1991 Dr Corbett moved to Jackson, MS to become chairman of the Neurology Department at the University of Mississippi and in July 1991 Dr. Johnston joined the Carle Clinic in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, as a neuro-ophthalmologist.

In September 1991 Dr Michael Wall joined the Neurology Department as a neuro-ophthalmologist, and the Neuro-ophthalmology Clinic was then staffed by Drs Thompson, Kardon and Wall.

Since 1971 there has been a fairly steady flow of fellows working alongside the eye residents. All patients have been examined and staffed by faculty since 1977. Carmen Musser first started to work for the Neuro-ophthalmology Unit as a technician in 1970. Andrea Hager has been secretary for the Neuro-ophthalmology Service since 2006.

In June 1997, after 30 years on the faculty as a neuro-ophthalmologist, Dr. Thompson retired. He started to work on various historical papers and only returned to staff the clinic when coverage was needed.

1995-96 Fellow and Faculty
Drs Thompson, Spiegel, Kardon and Wall

In 2000, Dr. Andrew Lee came from Houston, Texas to join the Iowa Neuro-ophthalmology faculty, and his brains and energy have helped the unit to flourish.

December 2002 Top row: Dr. Stan Thompson, & visiting speaker, Dr. James J. Corbett

Bottom row: Drs. Michael Wall, Randy Kardon, Andrew Lee, & Steve Goldin

Drs. Corbett, Kardon, Wall and Goldin at Clinical Conference, Dec.6, 2002

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In 2004, The Neuro-Ophthalmology Clinic became
The H. Stanley Thompson Neuro-Ophthalmology Clinic

 

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