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A Proud Legacy

William H. Havener, MD was the first full-time ophthalmologist at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health and chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology from 1959-1961 and 1972-1988.

A distinguished teacher and internationally known author, Dr. Havener was an innovative and skillful surgeon, thoughtful citizen, an avid gardener, and most of all, a considerate and caring physician.

Dr. Havener believed in planting things and watching them grow. He loved to plant seeds, whether in his garden or by nurturing medical students, residents, and faculty. The great planter of seeds is gone, but his harvest will continue to be bountiful. 

The Department of Ophthalmology

In 1914, Starling Ohio Medical College joined OSU and became The Ohio State University Medical College. At that time, Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology were a combined division. Recognizing the need for specialization, the Department of Ophthalmology was offi cially formed in 1929 under the leadership of Albert Frost, M.D. Patient care clinics were located on State Street and at Children’s Hospital. Surgery remained at University Hospitals. Medical students attended the outpatient clinic on State Street.

In 1938, the State Street clinic was moved to the University Hospitals. In 1949, the eye clinic occupied a small space adjacent to the old emergency room. In 1959, when Dr. Havener became the fi rst full-time ophthalmologist at Ohio State, the eye clinic consisted of a large central room for interviewing and refracting patients, a treatment room, a small classroom, and a visual field room. Between 1949 and 1962, the number of patients grew from 1900 to 16,000. Because of this increasing demand, the Department took up residence in the newly constructed Outpatient Clinic Building in 1975.

To meet the needs of Columbus’ increasing suburban population, the Department established a satellite clinic in 1996 for refractive surgery, anterior segment, neuro-ophthalmology, and comprehensive eye care. This clinic as located at Stoneridge Medical Plaza near the northeastern suburb of Dublin, but moved to its current location in Dublin in 2006. That same year, an additional clinic for retinal and glaucoma patients was established across the street.

In the summer of 2009, the Department of Ophthalmology will move from the OSU Medical Center campus to a new location across the Olentangy River. With over 28,000 square feet, patient exam facilities equipped with innovative technology, and a state-of-the-art surgery center we will be able to meet the growing demand for quality eye care. In its 80th year, the Havener Eye Institute will continue establishing a tradition of excellence in ophthalmology.

Highlights

• 1914 - The Department of Otolaryngology and Ophthalmology was created at The Ohio State University. The first department head was John E. Brown, MD, who was also president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology in 1915.
• 1923 - Hugh Beatty, MD, was named department chair.
• 1929 - The Board of Trustees established a separate Department of Ophthalmology, naming Albert D. Frost, MD, as its first chairman.
• 1946 - Arthur M. Culler, MD, was named department chair.
• 1959 - William H. Havener, MD, became the first full-time faculty member of the department. He was appointed chairman at age 35, and soon established an innovative teaching program for residents. Dr. Havener became interested in repairing retinal detachments, and developed a technique using a donor fascia lata for scleral buckling. He was dedicated to residents and student teaching and set up a number of formal instruction programs for both the medical school and residency.
• 1961 - Torrence A. Makley, MD, assumed chairmanship of the department and helped shape the department's growth. He had a special interest in uveitis and used his combination of clinical expertise and training in pathology to further our understanding of ocular inflammatory states.
• 1972 - Dr. Havener was appointed to serve a second term as chair.
• 1988 - Paul A. Weber, MD, was appointed department chair. He serves as one of the glaucoma specialists in the department and is the principle investigator for the "Ocular Hypertensive Treatment Study (OHTS)" National Eye Institute (NIH). Under his leadership, substantial improvements have been made in the educational programs for the faculty, residents, and students.
• 2004 - Dr. Weber turned over the chairmanship to Thomas Mauger, MD.

Today's Environment

The Department of Ophthalmology sees approximately 50,000 patients a year, or nearly one quarter of the entire outpatient visits of The Ohio State University Hospitals Clinic. Faculty are involved in a number of multi-center clinical trials funded by the National Eye Institute. Several major textbooks have been produced by faculty members in the past few years.