ADELE MAIMAN PERLMAN, M.D., Class of 1958

My biography is unique because the life I have enjoyed these past fifty years, both personal and professional, began at the NYU School of Medicine. My husband Sidney (NYU MD '56) was the first male I met at NYU. He was a 2nd year medical student when we met and we were married when he was an intern at Kings County Hospital and I a junior at NYU. We have enjoyed a wonderful partnership for more than 51 years.

I retired after almost 20 years as a Medical Director for Aetna Life & Casualty, Commercial Insurance Division. My primary involvement was in the defense of complex mass toxic tort litigation involving asbestos, silicosis, silicone breast implants, childhood lead poisoning, pesticides and other environmental exposures in addition to the defense of medical malpractice (we insured every MD and hospital in nine states). I was able to confront "junk science" when it emerged and to clarify public perception of risk vs. scientific assessment of risk. I had the unique opportunity to define these issues with the assistance of the finest physicians and scientists in the country. In addition, I assisted in the actuarial assessment of health risks related to insurability for the pharmaceutical industry concerning drugs and medical devices. Following my retirement , I started a consulting company and continued to provide my services to defense counsel and insurance companies.

Prior to my career at Aetna, I was Asst. Medical Director of the Hebrew Home & Hospital, a 300 bed facility which was a teaching affiliate of the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.

Sidney retired from a distinguished career as an Internist at St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center in Hartford, a teaching hospital of the University of Connecticut Medical School. He was voted one of the Best 100 MD's in the state of Connecticut. Sidney said he always practiced medicine as though Ludwig Eichna was looking over his shoulder.

Our early years were hectic including Sidney's Air Force commitment at U.S. Air Force Hospital Clark in the Philippine Islands. I traveled to join him with an 8 week-old infant and returned to the States two years later with 2 children. I gave birth to identical twin sons not too long after our return. Our children have grown into wonderful, honorable, caring people of whom we are very proud. Willa is a graduate of Barnard. She has been President of Golden Books, President & Publisher of Simon & Shuster Children's Book Division, etc. and is presently Managing Partner and Founder of Ligature Partners, and executive search company. Steve is a graduate of Columbia, is a computer engineer and an entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. He was a principal scientist at Apple. He is the founder of WebTV and holds more than 75 patents. Michael and Richard are both physicians. Michael is a graduate of Cornell and the University of Pittsburgh Medical School and is an Emergency Medicine physician. Richard graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and the George Washington School of Medicine and is also an Emergency Medicine physician.

We are further blessed with a wonderful son-in-law and daughters-n-law and six grandchildren ranging in age from 5 months to 15 years of age.

Sidney and I have been busy, but managed to be founders of a Solomon Schechter Day School in West Hartford and also to serve in our community. For my personal time, I have enjoyed painting, gardening (dinner plate dahlias), and a reluctant sailor at our home in Cape Cod.

Our greatest joy is our children and their spouses and our grandchildren. We presently spend the winter in Boca Raton, Florida and enjoy frequent visits and adventures with our family.

Thanks for the opportunity to actually sit down and document what I did between our graduation and now. It was a grand trip.