(1920-2013)
“Lorenz Zimmerman is a giant among men, an ophthalmologist’s ophthalmologist.” —Spencer P. Thornton, MD, outgoing president of ASCRS
View Video
Born to German and Swiss immigrant parents in Washington, D.C., in 1920, Lorenz Zimmerman received his medical degree from George Washington University. His residency training at Walter Reed Army Hospital was interrupted by the Korean War, during which he commanded a mobile medical laboratory in Korea. Returning after the war to the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, he pursued his first love, ophthalmic pathology, chairing the department for 29 years. As chairman, Dr. Zmmerman developed training programs and encouraged young ophthalmologists to go into pathology. He filled a void in ophthalmology and in so doing, greatly improved the understanding of eye disease. Dr. Zimmerman continued to teach and reside in Washington DC until his death in 2013.