IN ADDITION to being an acknowledged surgical giant, J. Englebert Dunphy, MD, had a keen and ready wit that was as sharp as his surgical expertise. Any surgical program or panel that included Dr Dunphy was assured of a full house and, in my experience, the audience was never disappointed. You did not have to work with him, as I did not, to be able to appreciate his sense of humor, his infectious laugh, and the sparkle that went with whatever he was discussing.
Against this background, we looked forward to having him as our James D. Rives Visiting Professor in 1966. The Rives Professorship is the longest continuous visiting professorship in the medical school, and even at that time had a significant role in the activities of the department. The banquet, with its after-dinner speech, was an eagerly awaited occasion, and one for which preparations were made long in advance.