Services will be held this week for Kenneth Metcalf, MBBS, MD, longtime UNMC faculty member and former chair of the UNMC Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy. He died Sept. 9 at the age of 101.
A visitation for Dr. Metcalf will be held Saturday, Oct. 1, at 9:30 a.m., with a funeral service to follow at 11 a.m. at Reichmuth Funeral Home at 21901 W. Maple Road.
Dr. Metcalf and his wife, the late Norah Metcalf, MBBS, taught generations of UNMC students, said their son, Jordan Metcalf, MD.
“My father taught in the gross anatomy lab until he was 84,” Dr. Jordan Metcalf said. “He devoted the last half of his life to UNMC.”
The Metcalfs brought six of their seven children to the United States from England in 1968 to take faculty positions at the University of Iowa. Four of their children would subsequently receive their MD degrees from UNMC.
The couple came to UNMC five years later, each taking faculty positions in the UNMC Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy. Dr. Metcalf, whose MD from Bristol University in England is the equivalent of a PhD, would serve as chairman of the department from 1973 to 1991. He introduced a living anatomy program into the gross anatomy course and experimented with several innovative approaches to anatomical education.
Graham Sharp, PhD, knew Dr. Metcalf for many years when he joined UNMC. He said Dr. Metcalf updated the teaching programs, rebuilt the graduate program and built a research portfolio in the department. He also provided support when Dr. Sharp was asked to develop the physician assistant anatomy course for the department, and he led the department through achievements such as the accreditation of the PA program, teaching awards and high student rating for department faculty and research awards that included a multi-year National Science Foundation Research Initiation and Support grant and a National Institutes of Health Child Health and Human Development Training grant.
“When he retired, the department was rated among the top 20 in the U.S. and higher in some categories,” Dr. Sharp said. “Dr. Metcalf was an enthusiastic, encouraging, fair but tough chair. He and I did not always agree, but we usually sorted things out. One time, I did threaten to move elsewhere. Dr. Metcalf’s response: ‘Where do you want me to send your letters of reference?’”
Shantaram Joshi, PhD, professor in the department, first met Dr. Metcalf in 1983 when he was a postdoctoral student.
“Dr. Metcalf was the ideal mentor in every way,” Dr. Joshi said. “He never failed to provide me honest guidance and steadfast support.”
Dr. Joshi remembers his mentor as “incredibly kind-hearted and loyal to his students, advocating for us to get the resources we needed to thrive. This meant not only supporting us to gain academic accolades but looking out for our personal well-being, too.
“I cannot begin to describe how much we will miss Dr. Metcalf. He was a giant in our anatomical sciences field who supported the growth of generations of teachers, researchers and clinicians. I am so honored that he was a major part of my professional and personal journey.”
David Crouse, PhD, whose UNMC tenure spanned 35 years, originally came to campus to join Dr. Metcalf’s department and remembers him as an “incredibly supportive” chair.
“He allowed me to shape my own research direction, often working with Dr. Sharp,” Dr. Crouse said. “He also allowed the faculty involved in research to tailor their teaching to their strengths, as well as supporting the development of new graduate courses and novel research projects.
“He was always there with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. His support and guidance led to long careers at UNMC for several faculty. I will always remember him for giving me a start in what turned out to be a long stay at UNMC.”
Gerald Moore, MD, emeritus senior associate dean for academic affairs in the UNMC College of Medicine, said Dr. Metcalf was devoted to UNMC students’ education.
“Along with his wife, Norah, he was a strong student advocate. Together, they helped to set the standard for anatomy education for future physicians,” Dr. Moore said.
Wow – what a career. Thanks for the great obit. Dr. Metcalf was a difference maker – an historical faculty member at UNMC.
– Tom O’Connor
I had the fortunate experience to be taught anatomy by the Drs. Metcalf in the late 70’s. The joy they brought to teaching was infectious for the learner. They were both quite funny and one was usually ribbing from the front row while the other lectured. They were quite the team and one of my fondest memories of medical school. UNMC and the students and faculty under their guidance were greatly enriched by their presence.