Passing the torch: Levy M. Hathaway and David N.W. Grant

Relatively unknown but, at the same time, of some significance to the aviation medicine historian, is the story of Colonel Levy Millspaugh Hathaway. An experienced military surgeon and a decorated veteran of World War I, Hathaway became the third Chief of the Medical Section, Office of the Chief of the Air Corps. Of primary importance is his appearance in Washington in time to influence the young David N.W. Grant and to engineer his eventual acceptance to the School of Aviation Medicine. This paper sheds some light on the career of this unknown aviation medicine pioneer and shows how he was instrumental in bringing Grant into aviation medicine, thereby changing the course of history.