LAUSR

It is impossible for all of us involved in pediatric neurosurgery not to feel sadness and a deep sense of loss at the death of Luis Schut on January 31, 2018. At the same time, asmembers of the profession and as human beings, we are aware of the pleasure we all obtained from knowing Luis. He was a consummate friend, colleague, and teacher to many of us and will continue as a presence in our lives. Luis was involved in the development of pediatric neurosurgery from an almost hidden specialty in the 1950s and 1960s being performed by only a few people in the world to a well-recognized subspecialty of neurosurgery by the time he retired. He left a potent legacy in themany residents and fellows that he taught, many of whom became leaders in pediatric neurosurgery, following in Luis’ footsteps. Luis’ career has the ring of a novel. Born in Argentina, he went through medical school in Buenos Aires during the presidency of Juan Peron where, according to Luis, the job of the medical students was to go on strike because all they got to eat was steak and to push the tanks in the military parades. After medical school, Luis and Tina, his wife and life companion, left Argentina and emigrated to the USA in 1955. He completed his neurosurgical training at the University of Pennsylvania under Professor Groff having been the last resident chosen by Professor Grant. He, along with Dr. Mishkin from radiology and Dr. Silberberg from neurology, went to Queen’s Square and Great Ormond Street in London to round of his education in neuroscience but also in good wine, good food, and living style. One of Luis’ jobs was to translate a Scottish registrar’s speech into English for his London colleagues. Quite impressive! In 1962, Luis joined the neurosurgery faculty at The University of Pennsylvania joining Eugene Spitz at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where he was involved with the implantation of the first successful valve (the SpitzHolter valve) for the control of hydrocephalus. CHOP became the early center for this modern treatment of hydrocephalus. Luis took over as chief of pediatric neurosurgery in 1967 after Dr. Schulman, who had replaced Dr. Spitz, left for New York to be the chairman at Albert Einstein University.