By Darrell Davidson, MD, PhD

It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Dr. Juan (born Giovanni) Rosai, M.D., co-author or primary author of 6 editions of Ackerman’s Surgical Pathology beginning in 1981. As a case presentation speaker, Dr. Rosai was widely sought by pathology seminar organizers throughout the world. The Indiana Association of Pathologists was fortunate to have Dr. Rosai agree to speak at our Spring Slide Seminar in 2006. With incisiveness and humor, he jointly presented cases with our members, Sunil Badve, M.D., Steven Billings, M.D., Stephen Bonsib, M.D., Oscar Cummings, M.D., John Eble, M.D., John Henley, M.D., Romil Saxena, M.D., and Thomas Ulbright, M.D. Dr. Rosai had politely declined prior invitations, explaining that his publisher had essentially put him on house arrest to make the deadline for the 9th edition of his 2-volume text. Invited to speak again at subsequent Indiana Association of Pathologists’ seminars, he again declined, explaining that Parkinson’s Disease had made it impossible for him to travel.

Nevertheless, Dr. Rosai indomitably created two more editions of the definitive compendium of anatomic pathology. Slide seminars occasionally enjoyed his delightful presence, although, in recent years, he was forced to make virtual appearances. Dr. Rosai’s presentation at our 57th annual Spring Slide Seminar will be a lasting memory in proportion to the performance of Dr. Arthur Purdy Stout at the first Indiana Association of Pathologists’ Slide Seminar in 1949.