Ebbe Hoff

Ebbe Curtis Hoff^[1] (born August 12, 1906 in Rexford, Kansas died February 17, 1985 in Richmond, Virginia) was chairman of the Department of Neurological Science at the Medical College of Virginia, founding Dean, School of Graduate Studies^[2] and founding director of the Virginia Division of Substance Abuse.

He earned a bachelor's degree with honors at the University of Washington in 1928 and a Doctor of Philosophy in physiology from St Catherine's College, Oxford in 1932 where he studied neurophysiology, writing his thesis on the theory of the synapse under Nobel Prize laureate Sir Charles Sherrington. He worked as a physiology instructor at Yale University in 1934 and later as a research assistant. He attended medical school (United Kingdom) earning his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, Doctor of Medicine and Master of Surgery degrees from Oxford and the London Hospital Medical College, finishing in 1940.

During World War II, he served in the United States Navy as a flight surgeon and became a leading authority on diving hazards and precautions, as well as submarine and aviation medicine. He authored the first comprehensive text on compressed air diving and submarine medicine. He participated in developing the modified G-Suit design adopted for US Navy pilots. He took part in unsuccessful attempts to develop a shark repellent. He also served as a Naval Attaché at the American Embassy, London. He left active military service with the rank of Commander in 1946 but remained in the Naval Reserve.

Dr. Hoff was a member of Phi Beta Kappa national scholastic honor society, Sigma Xi science honorary society, the American Physiological Society and the Medical Society of Virginia.

He was a member of the Torch Club of Richmond, the Richmond Astronomical Society and St Mary's Episcopal Church, Goochland County, Virginia where he served as director of the Sunday School, senior warden and vestryman. He was also a member of the Baker Street Irregulars, a club of Sherlock Holmes devotees. He held amateur radio license WA4CBM. He spent many summer holidays tenting in Westmore, Vermont on Lake Willoughby. He was also a member of the British Astronomical Association from 1957-1957

Selected publications

• Alcoholism: The Hidden Addiction (New York: Seabury Press, 1974)
• A bibliographical sourcebook of compressed air diving and submarine medicine (Washington, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Navy Dept., 1948–1954)
• A bibliography of aviation medicine (Springfield, Ill., Baltimore, Md., C.C. Thomas, 1942)
• United States Army Medical Service. Preventive Medicine in World War II - a seven volume series which he edited with his wife Phebe Margaret Hoff (Washington, DC: Office of the Surgeon General, Department of the Army) including Volume III: Personal Health Measures and Immunization and Volume VI: Communicable Diseases: Malaria
• A New Holmesian Treasure Trove (The Problem of Biffley Vicarage), Novella, Baker Street Journal [V14,#3-4,09-12/1964] (with Phebe M. Hoff)

References