Diedrick, Melford D. -1997

Melford D. Diedrick (d. 1997) served as Director of Medical Illustration at the University of Buffalo (later State University of New York at Buffalo) from 1935 until 1977. Diedrick studied art at Rochester Athenaeum and Mechanics Institute (now Rochester Institute of Technology) from 1929 to 1932, before going to Johns Hopkins Hospital to study medical illustration. At Johns Hopkins, Diedrick become a student of Max Broedel, referred to by many as the father of medical illustration. In 1934 Diedrick was hired as a medical illustrator at the University of Buffalo, becoming the first trained medical illustrator to practice in Buffalo. A founder of the Association of Medical Illustrators in 1945, Diedrick served as its president in 1963, when he was host for the group's annual gathering in Buffalo. In 1993 Diedrick was awarded the Association of Medical Illustrators Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the advancement of medical illustration.