John A. D. Cooper, M.D., died of complications from Alzheimer's disease on January 27, 2002, in Birmingham, Alabama. For almost thirty years, he played a major role in the development of U.S. health sciences libraries. In 1969, he became the first full-time president of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and served there until his retirement in 1986.
Dedicated supporter of the improvement of medical education and “tenacious advocate for libraries” [1], Cooper and John Sherman, long-time vice-president of AAMC, with the support of Martin M. Cummings, former National Library of Medicine (NLM) director, assembled the personnel and resources that made possible new collaborations between the leaders of medical schools and libraries. Over the next two decades, a series of influential AAMC studies stimulated library development. In the 1970s, E. A. Stead, Jr., and Cheves Smythe spearheaded Educational Technology for Medicine, a report expertly guided by Harold Schoolman for NLM [2]. This report led to multiple program additions in the Lister Hill Center at NLM, including the development of AVLINE and the expansion of new technologies in medical schools.
With AAMC encouragement, the Association of Academic Health Sciences Library Directors (AAHSLD) was formed in 1977 and became one of AAMC's affiliated organizations. In the 1980s, Marjorie Wilson, with William G. Cooper as the program officer for NLM, initiated the study that resulted in the Matheson-Cooper report and the beginning of the Integrated Advanced Information Management Systems (IAIMS) program [3]. This report was closely followed by Physicians for the Twenty-first Century, which included a subgroup report on medical information science skills; it was chaired by Donald A. B. Lindberg, now NLM director [4]. Later came Challenge to Action, the recommendations for health sciences libraries compiled by a joint task force of MLA and AAHSLD [5].
In 1981, U.S. News and World Report named Dr. Cooper one of the five most influential people in medical and health education. He published more than 300 articles on biomedical research, medical education, health policy, and medical care in the scientific and professional literature. He also received twelve honorary degrees from various institutions, as well as numerous other honors. The health sciences library community is now—and will remain—indebted to him for his shaping vision and vigorous support.
References
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- Matheson NW. principal investigator. Academic information in the academic health sciences center: roles for the library in information management. Washington, DC: Association of American Medical Colleges, 1984. [Google Scholar]
- Association of American Medical Colleges. Physicians for the twenty-first century: report of the Project Panel on the General Professional Education of the Physician and College Preparation for Medicine. Washington, DC: The Association, 1984. In: J Med Educ 1984 Nov;59(11):pt. 2. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Love E. ed., Joint Task Force of Association of Academic Health Sciences Library Directors and Medical Library Association. Challenge to action: planning and evaluation guidelines for academic health sciences libraries. Chicago, IL: The Associations, 1987. [Google Scholar]