Rheumatologists Remember Dr. Engleman, Pioneer, Leader, ‘Full Human Being’

Dr. Engleman

He was proud of his stage success playing the part of Mick Jagger in 2006, at the age of 95. “He was a showman,” notes Edgar Engleman. “He was missing a shy gene, and from the time he was a teenager as a professional musician, he was very comfortable on stage.”

That quality stood him well as a leader too, says Edgar Engleman. “When it came to organizing and getting things done, he was remarkably effective.” Dr. Gatter seconds that impression: “He was a hard man to say ‘no’ to. But it’s hard for anybody in a given field to say ‘no’ to someone who is winning and who wants you on board. You consider it an honor and a stimulus to your own career to be with somebody like that. You learn so much on the way.”

‘Eph was a remarkable man, not only for the length of his life, but also [for] the way he lived his life.’ —Lindsey A. Criswell, MD

Sustaining the Momentum

Dr. Engleman’s intellectual and financial support of research was unparalleled. Proceeds from My Century support the Research Center, renamed in 2014, the Rosalind Russell/Ephraim P. Engleman Rheumatology Research Center at UCSF; he and his wife, Jean, established the Jean S. and Ephraim P. Engleman Endowment for Rheumatology Research at UCSF; and Dr. Engleman was also the first person to endow an award for residents’ research through the ACR’s Rheumatology Research Foundation: The Ephraim P. Engleman Endowed Resident Research Preceptorship.

Dr. Engleman took a personal interest in the work of young researchers and fellow trainees. “Until the end of his life, his sharp intellect was focused on programmatic issues for the Russell-Engleman Center,” says Dr. Daikh. “And the fact that he died in his office at work—that really underscores the commitment in his life.”

“He looked forward, and rarely looked back,” Edgar Engleman remarks. “He was so optimistic, so organized and goal oriented, but at the same time doing the things that he really loved to do. What a perfect combination.”

“One of his core sparks was that he never lost his sense of humor nor his spiritual energy,” notes Dr. Gatter. “He kept his professional accomplishments in perspective and still had the ability to be personable across the dinner table. He was a delightful person. He was not just a rheumatologist, not just a doctor, not just a scientist. He was a full human being.”Dr. Engleman is survived by his wife of 74 years, Jean of San Mateo; sons Edgar of Atherton and Philip of Los Gatos; daughter Jill Roost of Hillsborough; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.