An ASCITradition Page 1 I will speak to you today about one of the traditions of our Society, one
which tells how our breed of clinical investigators came into being; it may also give us reason
to contemplate some of our responsibilities. The subject of my address is the founder and first
President ofThe American Society for Clinical Investigation, whose name may not befamiliar,
even to many members of our Society. His name was Samuel James Meltzer (Fig. shows his
picture). Hewas born in Russia in 1851. When he was 25years old he left for Germany to study …