Abstract
Dr. Charles C. Capen passed away 1 March 2008 after a courageous battle against cancer. He was a mentor, colleague, and friend for many of his fellow faculty members, colleagues around the world, and students he has taught. His legacy will be as large as the role he fulfilled over these past 40 years. His effect on his profession and the department are immense. He was recognized worldwide as an exceptional leader in the veterinary profession and one of the foremost experts on calcium metabolism and endocrine pathology. His pioneering research provided fundamental knowledge on the function of vitamin D, parturient hypocalcemia in dairy cows, and humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy. Dr. Capen was an exceptional example of a veterinary scholar and avid researcher through his devotion to veterinary and biomedical research. Over the past 40 years, his influence and contributions to the fields of endocrinology, toxicology and veterinary pathology have been enormous. Dr. Capen was one of a few veterinarians in the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. Considered by most to be the world authority on veterinary endocrine pathology, he was renowned for his work in the use of animal models to study human diseases.
Dr. Capen was born in Tacoma, Washington, and grew up on a small dairy farm near Yelm, Washington, southeast of Tacoma. His father was a dairy farmer and his mother a school teacher. He graduated from Yelm High School in 1954 and entered Washington State University that fall. His close friends recall that he worked on his father's dairy farm in the summers while in school. He and his father cut some timber from their property each year to sell, which provided the income each year to pay the tuition for Charles and his sister. Charles developed an early interest in veterinary pathology and began working in the veterinary pathology department at Washington State University as a second year veterinary student. While a veterinary student, he attended graduate seminars, which would eventually lead him to develop an interest in a career in veterinary pathology. He earned MS and PhD degrees from The Ohio State University in 1961 and 1965, respectively, and earned Diplomate status by passing the certifying examination of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists in 1965. He was hired as instructor in the Department of Pathology (later called Pathobiology and then Veterinary Biosciences), where he rose through the academic ranks, becoming professor in 1972 and serving as chair from 1982 to 2002. Charles married Dr. Sharron Martin, a fellow professor in the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine in 1968. Over the past 4 decades, they traveled the world together on photographic safaris, bringing back treasured images to share in intriguing and educational exhibits.
Dr. Capen helped shaped the Department of Veterinary Biosciences into what it is today, a significant link between the veterinary and human health communities. Students and scholars alike benefited from Dr. Capen's dedication, precise attention to detail, and enduring passion for investigative pathology. He was a highly regarded mentor to graduate students and postdoctoral scientists. His former students are leaders throughout academia, government, and industry and have contributed significantly to his reputation as an outstanding teacher and research mentor. Dr. Capen published over 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts in the top journals of his fields. In addition, he wrote more than 100 book chapters, many in texts still used widely by graduate students in endocrinology, toxicology, and pathology. Dr. Capen received dozens of honors, including being named a Distinguished Member of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists—at the time 1 of only 22 diplomates of 1,300 in the college to receive such a designation. He received Ohio State's Distinguished Scholar Award in 1993. Other honors that illustrate Dr. Capen's distinction in research, scholarly activities, and teaching include election into the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences (1992) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2006), Career Achievement Award for the Society of Toxicologic Pathology (2006), American Veterinary Medical Association Awards (Gaines, Ralston, Purina, Canine and Borden), The Ohio State University Distinguished Scholar Award (1993), The Ohio State University Distinguished University Professor (2002), Distinguished Alumnus of Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine (1997), Distinguished Alumnus of Washington State University (2007), and Distinguished Member of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (1999). Dr. Capen was a widely sought after consultant for many of the top pharmaceutical companies from around the globe. In addition, because of his international reputation, he was elected to leadership positions in major scientific societies, including the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, the Society of Toxicologic Pathology, Association of Veterinary Pathology Chairpersons in North America, Society of Toxicology, as well as others. These awards and positions of honor reflect his sustained excellence as a scholar and the respect he garnered as a researcher and as a mentor/teacher. His outstanding record of service to the veterinary profession provides a clear example of “paying forward” to future generations of veterinarians seeking careers in research.
Michael Lairmore
Professor and Chair
Department of Veterinary Biosciences
The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH
Thomas Rosol
Professor and Dean
College of Veterinary Medicine
The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH