Biographical Data
Frederick Carl Cordes was born in San Francisco on June 12, 1892. He graduated from the University of California with an A.B.degree in 1915, and from the University of California School of Medicine in 1918. Following a year of internship at that institution, he was began an assistantship at the school's eye clinic under professor of opthalmology Walter Scott Franklin. This was the beginning of a departmental affiliation that would last nearly forty-five years. Dr. Cordes was appointed instructor in opthalmology in 1921 and advanced to assistant clinical professor in 1928, to associate clinical professor in 1934, and to chairman of the department; finally to clinical professor in 1936, a position he held until his retirement at the age of sixty-seven. Even after his retirement, it has been noted, Dr. Cordes "was still to be found in his study at the University by 6:30 a.m., five mornings a week, working at his slides and his writing, and continuing to teach the resident physicians." Under the chairmanship of Dr. Cordes, the eye department at the University of California developed from a small clinic without residents, or much equipment, or laboratories, to an outstanding eye center and first-class training ground for ophtalmologists. He is also credited with the establishment of the Eye Bank, the Eye Tumor Laboratory, Eye Pathology Laboratory, Glaucoma Clinic, Remedial Reading Clinic, Reduced Vision and Physiological Optics Laboratory, Florence C. Noble Orthoptic Clinic and, most notably, the Francis I. Proctor Foundation for Research in Ophthalmology. Dr. Cordes was a pioneer in cataract surgery, and discoverer of a treatment to relieve pressure on the optic nerve in glaucoma cases. Another major discovery by Dr. Cordes was that the use of nitrogen in anesthetics caused premature babies to be born blind; for this work he was awarded the Leslie Dana Gold Medal of the National Society for the Prevention of Blindness. Other honors awarded to Dr. Cordes include the Howe Medal of the AMA, the Lucien Howe Medal of the American Ophthalmological Society, numerous honorary memberships and an honorary LL.D. degree from the University of California. Dr. Cordes died on April 4, 1965.
From the guide to the Frederick Carl Cordes Papers, 1934?-39, (University of California, San Francisco. Library. Archives and Special Collections.)
