Worthington, W. Curtis

Ward Curtis Worthington Jr. was born in 1925 in Savannah, Georgia. Raised in Beaufort and on St. Helena's Island, SC, he served in the U.S. Naval Reserve from 1944-46. In 1947, Dr. Worthington married Floride Calhoun McDermid (and went on to have two children). Worthington was an attendee of the Citadel (Charleston, S.C.), where he received his Bachelor's of Science in 1952. In the same year, Worthington earned his M.D. from the Medical College of South Carolina, Charleston. After completing a surgical internship at Boston City Hospital from 1952-53, Dr. Worthington taught at Johns Hopkins Medical School (1953-56) and went on to become an assistant professor of Anatomy at the University of Illinois, Chicago (1956-57). He returned to MUSC as an assistant professor of Anatomy in 1957 and was subsequently promoted to associate professor in 1959. In 1964-65, Dr. Worthington was granted a Special Research Fellowship in neuroendocrinology, through the University of Oxford, Oxford UK. When he returned to the United States, Dr. Worthington took up the position of Assistant Dean for Curriculum (1966-69) at MUSC. Shortly afterwards he was named professor of Anatomy and continued on to chair the Anatomy department from 1969-1977. During this time period, Dr. Worthington also held the office of Associate Dean, College of Medicine (1970-77). In 1975, Dr. Worthington was named Acting Vice President for Academic Affairs at MUSC. He took up the official position of Vice President for Academic Affairs in 1977 and continued to hold that office until 1982, when he was appointed the Director of the Waring Historical Library (a post that he continues to hold). In addition to the aforementioned directorship, Dr. Worthington was appointed Professor of History of Medical Science in 1987 and held the office of Associate Dean for Academic Affairs from 1982-1991. Dr. Worthington's scientific research often focused on endocrinology, resulting in the publication of many prestigious scientific articles on the topic. Later in his career, Worthington focused on research into the medical humanities, focusing on the history of medicine. In particular, Dr. Worthington delved into the history of MUSC and medical education in South Carolina. Outside of his numerous accomplishments as a professor, researcher and academician, Dr. Worthington has been much honored for his works within the community. He was instrumental in the restoration of St. Luke's Chapel, after its destruction by Hurricane Hugo. He is also a long-time member of the Charleston Rotary Club and has held several offices in the Charleston Symphony Orchestra Association.