In July 2023, we changed our name from AACC (short for the American Association for Clinical Chemistry) to the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM). The following page was written prior to this rebranding and contains mentions of the association’s old name. It may contain other out-of-date information as well.
1985 Outstanding Contributions in Education
Richard H. Gadsden, Sr., will receive the 15th AACC Award for Outstanding Contributions in Education. The award is sponsored by SmithKline Bioscience Laboratories.
Dr. Gadsden was born in Denver, Colorado. He received his undergraduate education at the College of Charleston and his graduate education at the Medical University of South Carolina. He joined the faculty of the Medical University of South Carolina in 1956 as assistant professor of chemistry and became professor of biochemistry and laboratory medicine in 1974. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Department of Biochemistry at the Medical University and served as its interim chairman 1967–1969. He was appointed as director of the Division of Special Chemistry and Toxicology in 1970 and currently serves as co-director of the Division of Clinical Chemistry. He has served on more than 30 committees of the Medical University between 1964 and 1985.
Dr. Gadsden established biochemistry as a discipline and as a department of the Medical University, but agreed to serve as its first chairman on an interim basis only, because his primary interest is clinical chemistry. He has conducted graduate training and education, with emphasis on human biochemistry, as a part of the basic medical service. He established special chemistry laboratories, including one dealing with toxicology, and served as the first director. Later, when clinical chemistry laboratories were organized, he became the director, a position he still holds. Dr. Gadsden also has served since 1960 as advisor to graduate students of biochemistry. He presents courses on advanced biochemistry to graduate students, on clinical biochemistry to medical students, and on clinical correlation to the Department of Laboratory Medicine. He also directs training of residents in the Department of Laboratory Medicine during their rotation through clinical chemistry. His postdoctoral fellows now hold responsible positions in clinical chemistry throughout the United States in medical institutions and industry.
A member of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) since 1958, Dr. Gadsden has served on the board of Editors for Clinical Chemistry since 1982 and for Selected Methods in Clinical Chemistry (1972–85). He served as co-chairman for the 31st AACC national meeting in 1979 and is a member of the executive and organizing committees for the 37th AACC national meeting in 1985. Currently, he serves on the AACC national meetings management committee and is chairman of the national meetings scientific program subcommittee. He has served on the board of editors for the Annals of Clinical and Laboratory Sciences since 1979.
Dr. Gadsden is a Fellow of the Association of Clinical Scientists, the American Institute of Chemists, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was chairman of the AACC Southeast Section in 1972. He also served as president of the S.C. Academy of Science in 1966–1967; the S.C. Institute of Chemists in 1971–1972; and the Association of Clinical Scientists in 1981. He is also a member of the Society of the Sigma XI, has been designated as an Outstanding Educator of America, was elected to membership of Omicron Delta Kappa, and was the recipient of the Sunderman Award as Clinical Scientist for 1984.