Andrew Epstein
Year: October 2nd, 2003
Interviewed by: Blackburn, Henry
Abstract
Andy Epstein is Fred Epstein’s older son (Tony is the younger) and is an academic cardiologist who has excelled in arrhythmia prevention trials and practice. This interview reflects on Fred Epstein’s characteristics of curiosity, devotion to work, and profound sensitivity. It contains personal details of their father-son relation and of Fred’s traumatic departure from the U. of Michigan. It speaks of Fred’s remarkable devotion to Tommy Francis and his hurt at rejection by other Michigan colleagues, and other personal matters not comfortable elements to preserve in the historical record.
The web version is limited to one anecdote about the young, poor, physician, working for the New York City Garment Workers Union at the Sidney Hillman Center.(HB)
Quotes
“Values;”
This is a great New York story from that time. I think dad’s first car or one of his first cars was a 1930 or ’40-something maroon Chevy that he bought from an Indian chief. And the front seat swerved. The car was so beat up that the front seats were held up with cinder blocks. And we lived in Flushing then where I was born and dad came home from the Sydney Hillman Health Center and there was a cop that followed him all the way. And dad pulled in front of the apartment and the cop pulled up behind him, got out of his car and said, “Sir, can I see your license and registration?” Dad showed him this and he said, “Can you show me your medical degree? Show me that you’re a physician?” And dad said, “Yeah.” The cop came up to the apartment to the door and Dad showed him his medical degree and the cop said….. And you realize in New York at that time physician’s had MD plates so they could park anywhere. And the cop said, “I’m sorry to have inconvenienced you like this, but I’ve never seen a physician who drove a car that looked like this.” So he had thought he had stolen the MD plates. I think that’s a wonderful story about that time in New York.(10)
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