Celebrating the life of Frederick Wolfe, MD: ‘The consummate physician-scientist’
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The rheumatology community is mourning the death of Frederick Wolfe, MD, who contributed invaluably to the world of medical research and was instrumental in classifying fibromyalgia.
Wolfe, 87, was born July 1, 1936, in the Bronx, New York, and passed away Sept. 5 in Wichita, Kansas. He is survived by his wife Donna Hawley; his children Aaron, Ezra and David Wolfe; his sister- and brother-in-law Susan and Frederic Sanders; and daughters-in-law Terrilyn McCormick and Erica Wolfe. Wolfe also leaves behind five grandchildren, according to his obituary.
A lifetime of research and service
Wolfe’s professional career began in 1958 when he graduated from Queens College, in New York. He completed his medical degree in 1966, earning the honor from the State University of New York. After completing his education, Wolfe enlisted with the U.S. Air Force in 1968 and was honorably discharged as a captain in 1970. Following his time with the Air Force, Wolfe founded the Wichita Arthritis Center in 1974. Five years later, he became clinical professor of internal medicine at the University of Kansas.
While practicing at the Wichita Arthritis Center, Wolfe grew entrenched in clinical research in rheumatology. He founded the Arthritis Research Center Foundation, as well as the National Databank for Rheumatic Diseases. Throughout his life, Wolfe was the lead or co-author of hundreds of research papers, which have been cited more than 125,000 times, according to his obituary.
“Dr. Wolfe was listed in the annual top researchers of all time,” Kaleb Michaud, PhD, a professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and close friend and colleague of Wolfe, told Healio. “He was in the top 99.9th percentile and No. 2 of all time — behind only Dr. David Felson in rheumatology field.”
In addition, Wolfe was part of the first group to collect and define symptoms for the condition that would later come to be known as fibromyalgia, an effort he completed after organizing a group of 20 rheumatologists. The American College of Rheumatology endorsed the work, and Wolfe researched fibromyalgia until his death.
“The common denominator of all of Fred’s work was his passion to make the world better for all his patients and everyone with whom he came in contact,” read his obituary, in part. “His exacting standards sometimes led to difficult interactions, but these were never based on personal issues but rather on how best to meet the goal of delivering optimal patient care and outcomes.”
‘Mentor, colleague, friend’
Wolfe will be remembered not only as a giant of rheumatology, but also for his strength of character, warmth and generosity. According to those who worked alongside him, Wolfe acted as both a mentor and guiding light for young researchers and rheumatologists.
“My first rheumatologist, my first non-food service boss, my mentor, colleague, friend and most influential person for my research career,” Michaud said. “He inspired me to ask important questions, try harder and always help others trying to do the same. I thank him for taking a chance on me. He will be missed, but never forgotten.”
Throughout his career, Wolfe had a reputation as a pioneer in rheumatology research, particularly in the areas of patient reported outcomes and treatment response.
“Dr. Wolfe was a visionary and will be remembered as a pioneer in the quantitative assessment of patient wellbeing and response to therapy — aspects of care that are so important and integrated into our routines that we take them for granted today,” ACR President Douglas White, MD, PhD, told Healio. “But I’ll remember him for his generosity and unassuming manner when I was starting my own practice and reached out to him with an interest in joining the National Databank for Rheumatic Diseases.”
Leonard Calabrese, DO, RJ Fasenmyer chair of clinical immunology at the Cleveland Clinic, and chief medical editor of Healio Rheumatology, remembered Wolfe as a good friend as well as a pillar of the field.
“Fred Wolfe was a giant in the field of rheumatology and someone I considered a good friend,” Calabrese said. “I have many memories of him, but especially the time early in my career when I invited him to the Cleveland Clinic as a visiting professor.
“Later in his career, his contributions to understanding fibromyalgia were legion and he brought order to chaos,” he added. “I will miss him dearly.”
Wolfe was also well loved and held in high regard by those who often disagreed with his opinions.
“He was one of my favorite people in the field of rheumatology,” Daniel Clauw, MD, professor of anesthesiology, psychiatry and rheumatology at the University of Michigan Medical School, told Healio. “I highly respected and liked Fred even though I often disagreed with him. He was the consummate physician-scientist and leader in so many areas, including the importance of listening to our patients, and of using patient reported outcomes.
“He was particularly impactful in the area of fibromyalgia, where the criteria he led the development of were responsible for tremendous advances in our understanding of this and related conditions,” he added. “The most amazing thing is that Fred did all of this whilst being in private practice rather than being supported by the resources of a large academic medical center.”
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