DR. CUSHING RESIGNS VA POST IN PROTEST OF MEDICAL POLICIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000300060014-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 21, 1998
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: February 6, 1962
• Content Type: NSPR

FEB 6 1952
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP7-00001 R000300060014-4
A-16 **THE EVENING STAR, Washin .
CPYRGHT
Dr. Cushing Resigns
VA Post in Protest
Of Medical Policies
Dr. Edward Harvey Cushing
assistant chief medical director o
the Veterans Administration, wil
leave his post this month as
result- of "fundamental and Ir
reconcilable" differences with Vic
Admiral Joel T. Boone, U.S.
(ret.), medical director of the V
Dr. Cushing's brief letter o
resignation was r.eleaspd yester
day. Admiral Boone immediate)
announced the' appointment of D
George Marshall Lyon, founde
and director ' of ' the VA's. radio
isotope research . program, to sue
Geed him.
The apparent disagreement eve
top VA medical policies recalle
the bitter resignation 11 month
ago of Dr. Paul B. Magnuson a
medical director.
Stated Reasons Earlier.
Dr. Cushing, an outstandin
CPYRGHT
Dr. Lyon Named as Successor
told Admiral Boone iri a recent
conversation that he was resign-
ing January 30. At that time, ac- I
cording to the letter of resigna-
tion, he. also stated his reasons.
However, in the resignation
letter, Dr. Cushing mentioned
only "the Conviction, which has
grown during the last few months,
that there ' are `fundamental and
irreconsilable - differences in our
approach to the problems of the
Department of Medicine and
Surgery,"
Dr. Cushing accepted another
four-year term only last Septem-
ber.
Active in. Atom Work.
Dr.. Lyon, 56, was closely asso-
ciated with atomic research dur-
ing World War II as director of
the Navy's division of atomic
medicine. fie was a member of
the team. which exploded the firDt
atomic bomb in New Mexico, and
was present at the atomic bomb
tests on Bikini atoll.
He has been senior research
assistant to Dr. Cushing.
Dr. Cushing came to the VA
during the tenure of Dr. Paul
Hawley. Dr. Magnuson succeeded
Dr. Hawley as medical director.
FOIAb3b
CPYRGHT
CPYRGHT
THE WASHINGTON POST
Wednesday, February 6, 1952
Dr. Cushing Resigns' as Boone's Assistant,
Protesting Direction of Medicine in VA
By N. S. Haseltine
P~At or ter
Dr. Edward Harvey Cushi
zsterday resigned as assista t
lief medical director of Vetera s
dministration, protesting t h e
irection of VA medicine.
His resignation, which he ask
e made effective "not later th
[arch 1," was accepted with "r -
ret" by VA Medical Director
oel T. Boone, (Vice Admir 1,
JSN ret.), who immediate y
amed a successor,
Appointed to succeed D r.
rushing is Dr. George Marsh 1
,yon, founder and director,. f
ia-
VA's extensive radioisotope
earch program, and former
lirector of the 'Navy's Divisi n
A Atomic Medicine. Senior
ia-
earch assistant to Dr. Cushing,
ie will -take over the office n
larch 1.
Dr. Cushing's resignation mar Fs
the first open evidence of dis-
cor among . top officials in VA
medicine since the firing of Dr.
Paul B. Magnuson as VA Medi-
cal director on January 15, 1951.
At that time, Dr. Magnuson ap-
pealed to his supporters to con-
tinue their work for VA, rather
than to resign as they were
threatening.
Dr. Cushing, who headed the re-
search and education service to
VA's department of medicine and
surgery, declined to discuss de-
tails of the reason for his resigna-
tion.
His letter stated that the de-
cision was "based entirely on the
conviction, which has grown dur-
ing the past few months, that
there are fundamental and irre.
concilable differences in our ap-
proach to the problems of the De-
partment of Medicine and Sur-
gery."
Friends, however, said Dr.
Cushing had privately expressed
frustrations over direction of his
division, and the apparent slowing
down of progress in VA's program
of using VA hospitals as teaching
hospitals for interns and resi-
dents. Like Dr. Magnuson, they
said, he feared that VA medicine
was slowly being returned to the
"bureaucrats."
Admiral Boone, expressed "sur-
prise" at Dr. Cushing's resigna-
tion despite the latter's oral' no-
tice to quit in a conversation be-
tween the two on January 30,
sad he'd prefer not to comment
until "Dr. Cushing more clearly
defines his reasons."
Until last week, Admiral Boone
said, he had no "intimation" that
Dr. Cushing was dissatisfied,
"especially since he agreed last
September to serve another four-
year term in his important posi-
tion."
"Until last week, everybody
seemed to be happy," declared
Admiral Boone.
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP75-00001 R000300060014-4