Louis Corwin, Jr. (1926-2019)
Lou was born in Queens, New York and his father, Louis Corwin Sr., was a small animal practitioner on Long Island as were three other Corwin’s – Lou’s uncle, cousin, and brother Paul. After high school Lou served in the US Army and was stationed in the Philippines. He attended Cornell University as a prevet student. He went to veterinary school at Colorado State University, receiving his DVM in 1952. After graduation, he returned to New York and joined his father’s practice where he worked for ten years with his younger brother Paul (COR ’56).
He had met his future wife Shirley on a previous trip to Nebraska and they married in 1954 and started their life together in New York. By 1962, the Corwin’s had six children and they moved to Ft. Collins, Colorado where Lou entered a postgraduate program in radiology mentored by William Carlson and Ed Gillette. After receiving his PhD in 1968, Lou joined the faculty of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri, working with E.A. (Al) Corley in radiology. Lou retired as emeritus professor in 1987.
Lou became an ACVR Diplomate in 1973 and was active in many research projects in oncology, radiation therapy, nuclear medicine, and radiation safety at the University of Missouri. He was one of the original OFA readers and he continued in that capacity until his death, cumulatively reading more than 1 million pelvic radiographs.
In the ACVR, he was the ACVR historian for more than twenty years, which meant that he had the ACVR archives stowed in his garage. He was also the chairman of the Radiation Protection Committee and when giving his annual report to the ACVR membership, he would stand up and pronounce that his committee still believed in wearing lead gloves and aprons and then he would sit down, with the ACVR diplomates chuckling and laughing.
Lou was a lifelong N.Y. Giants fan and a proud New Yorker. He knew how to win friends and influence people, often keeping them at rapt attention and with endless laughter with his entertaining stories of growing up on Long Island, his military service, and countless other adventures. Some of his stories were incomplete such as the time in 1951, when in veterinary school and on home for Christmas vacation with three bullet holes in his car door. He simply said something about a run-in with a Nebraska Sheriff and never explained other details of the incident.
Lou’s unique sense of humor earned his title as the “Chief Fun Instigator” of the Corwin family. He was an enigma, and no one could ever really figure him out, including his wife Shirley. When asked a question, he would often provide an answer that had nothing to do with the question and would quickly get off topic and never address the original query. He told me once, that he thought that a college of veterinary medicine was superior to a school of veterinary medicine. He would say, “ Isn’t a college better than a school?”
Lou and Shirley had nine children, and all were educated and have led successful lives and careers. Lou was a very warm, caring and unique human being, the likes of which are quite rare. He was a friend, colleague, educator and a man of everlasting unique humor. Those who knew him will always remember that funny humble guy who brought some brevity to our specialty college.
Jerry M. Owens
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Published Elsewhere: LOUIS A. CORWIN JR.Dr. Corwin (Colorado State ’52), 93, Columbia, Missouri, died Dec. 13, 2019. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Radiology, he was a professor of radiology at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine for almost 30 years. Dr. Corwin also conducted research on bone cancer. In later years, he worked in radiology for the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.Dr. Corwin served in the Army during World War II. He is survived by his wife, Shirley; five daughters and four sons; 10 grandchildren; and two brothers. Memorials may be made to Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 105 Waugh St., Columbia, MO 65201, or made to Second Chance, an animal rescue organization, and sent to P.O. Box 10186, Columbia, MO 65205, columbia2ndchance.org