Frederick Amasa Coller M.D.

  General Notes:

Dr. Frederick Amasa Coller (1887-1964) graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1912; resident surgeon, Massachusetts General Hospital, 1914; assistant chief surgeon, Womens War Hospital, Devon, 1915-1916; Professor of surgery at the University of Michigan Medical School, 1920-1957. He also served in the Medical Corps during World War I.

Professor and chair of Surgery at the University of Michigan Medical School, he was recognized as an authority in the surgical treatment of thyroid diseases and developed a replacement for water and electrolyte loss in surgical patients that is used worldwide.

Frederick Amasa Coller was President of the American College of Surgeons in 1949-1950.

The following is from the University of Michigan web site: Medical School Faculty, 1934; Assistant Professor to Professor of Surgery 1920-1957. Graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1912, became resident surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1914. In the early 1920s, he was offered the Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Michigan by Hugh Cabot, and was appointed Director of the Department of Surgery in 1930. He dominated the department for the next 27 years, developing principles in pre- and postoperative care, and surgical technique. He was also a respected authority in the history of surgery. He was required to begin his retirement from the University in 1957. Instead, he moved to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital to continue operating.

Currell, Biddle Family Notes, newspaper clipping, abt 1960: "Chairman emeritus of the department of surgery at the University of Michigan, Dr. Frederick A. Coller, was among 15 physicians who were honored yesterday at the 150th Anniversary Convocation of the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The 15 were nominated from 2,200 members of the hospital's House Pupils Association, an organization of former interns and residents. Citations and commemorative medals were presented to the recipients at a lucheon at which Dr. Natan Pusey, president of Harvard University, presided. Dr. Coller, 73, who lives in Ann Arbor, was cited as "a surgeon's surgeon, beloved and respected by colleagues, students and patients, from coast to coast."

Currell, Biddle Family Notes, obituary newspaper clipping, 1964: "Dr. Frederick A. Coller, chairman emeritus of the University of Michigan Medical School's department of surgery and renowned for his surgical techniuqes was one of six widely known educators taken by death. A Harvard Medical School graduate, Dr. Coller joined the U of M faculty in 1920 and gained acclaim as a teacher, surgeon and scholar. He died Nov. 5 at the age of 77. Dr. Coller had been president of the American College of Surgeons and the American Surgical Association. He was a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in England and the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh."
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  Noted events in his life were:

• Social Security Number, 1954, Michigan. ² The SSDI lists the Social Security Number for Frederick Coller as 380-36-2707. His date of birth as 2 Oct 1887 and death in November of 1964. It was issued in Michigan in 1954. It also states that his last residence was in Michigan.

• Residence: Wallingford Drive, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Frederick married Jessie Edward Bernsen on 10 Dec 1917 in Ft. Lewis, Washington. (Jessie Edward Bernsen was born on 17 Oct 1890.)