Lost Drawings Enhance Legacy of Dr. Philip Sims
Sometimes, when moving out the old to make way for the new, unexpected
treasure is found. Such was the case when Dr. Jeff Wimsatt left his office
at the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital and Dr. Terry Campbell,
Zoological Medicine Service, moved in. As Dr. Campbell was cleaning out
a desk, he came upon a stash of drawings left behind in the midst of tragedy
- drawings forgotten for almost a decade and now brought to light so all
can appreciate once again the brilliance of the artist.
It was 1996 when Dr. Philip Sims was writing and illustrating a book
on reptilian comparative anatomy, collaborating with Dr. Wimsatt. Dr.
Sims, who was a veterinarian (DVM Class of 1984) and renowned biomedical
illustrator, had received many awards for his illustrations and was eagerly
anticipating the completion of his latest work. Unexpectedly and tragically,
a sudden heart attack took his life at the age of 40. In the wake of his
death, his final works were forgotten.
 "Fortunately
for all of us, it was Dr. Campbell who found the artwork and could truly
appreciate its value -- someone else may have thrown them away and that
would have been such a loss" said Dr. Sandra Pitcaithley, Laboratory
Coordinator in the Department of Biomedical Sciences. "He got in
touch with me, and gave me the whole box full of drawings. I contacted
Dr. Sims's father, who really was quite delighted with what we had found,
and he gave us permission to use the drawings for our coursework."
Dr. Pitcaithley and Dr. Campbell, who co-teach a course in reptilian
anatomy, quickly put the drawings to work in the classroom, and also are
using the drawings to illustrate a new laboratory manual. With the finding
of this work, the legacy of Dr. Sims is continued by promoting veterinary
education both through his artistic talents and through the Philip E.
Sims Memorial Scholarship which benefits PVM students.
|
|
