In Memory: Henry N. Claman, MD, FAAAAI

The following tribute was provided by Stephen C. Dreskin, MD, PhD, FAAAAI:

It is with great respect that I inform you of Dr. Henry Claman’s passing September 3 after a battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Henry N. Claman, MD, FAAAAI, was a third generation physician and a second generation allergist. He attended Harvard College and the New York School of Medicine. He completed training in internal medicine at Barnes Hospital and at the Massachusetts General Hospital, completed his military duties as Head of Allergy at the U. S. Army Hospital in Ft. Meade, Maryland, and then moved to Denver in 1961 to work with David W. Talmage, MD, FAAAAI, in the Division of Allergy and Immunology in the Department of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

In 1966, Dr. Claman and colleagues published the seminal observation that cellular cooperation between lymphocytes from the bone marrow and those from the thymus was essential for antibody production, the beginning of our understanding of T-B collaboration in immunology. In 2004, this article was highlighted in the Journal of Immunology as the first article in the “Pillars of Immunology” series.

Among his many achievements, Dr. Claman served as Head of the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine; published and lectured widely on topics such as effects of corticosteroids on lymphoid cells, the cellular basis of tolerance, the nature of suppressor T cells which were the historical predecessor of T regulatory cells, chronic graft versus host disease, the role of mast cells in scleroderma and the immunology of pregnancy; was on a variety of prestigious editorial boards; and received a number of awards, including the Sulzberger Prize from the American Dermatologic Society, the Besredka Prize of the Foundation Franco-Allemande (for Immunology), the Chairman’s Award of the Department of Medicine and the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation (Denver) Award for Achievement in Science. He was also recognized as an AAAAI Honorary Fellow in 1991.

Henry was also involved in the community beyond the University, serving on the Board of Directors of Temple Emanuel, the Board of Directors of the Rocky Mountain Harvard Club and as the President of the Denver Institute for Jewish Studies. 

Dr. Claman was appointed Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Immunology and Professor Emeritus of the School of Medicine. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Colorado in 2014, and received the Thomas Jefferson Award of the University of Colorado, one of the University’s highest honors. 

In his later years, Henry wrote Jewish Images in the Christian Church: Art as the Mirror of the Jewish-Christian Conflict, 200-1250 CE (available at Amazon), founded the Arts and Humanities in Healthcare Program at the University, integrating the arts, literature and reflective writing into the medical education curriculum, and was the founding editor of The Human Touch, an annual anthology of poetry, prose and photography from the University of Colorado Denver medical campus.

A service was held September 5 at Temple Emanuel and a grave site ceremony September 6.  

Henry’s charm, wit and intellect will be sorely missed. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Janet Stewart, his son, David Claman, and his brother, Victor Claman.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to The Denver Hospice, Friends of Chamber Music or Temple Emanuel.