M. Eugene Tardy III, the oldest of four children, grew up in southern Indiana. He attended Bloomington High School, graduating academically as the top male student in his class, captained the tennis team, and captured the Indiana State Boys as well as Junior tennis titles. Indiana University awarded him a varsity tennis scholarship, where he competed for 3 years and earned an AB degree in Biology and Zoology before beginning medical school at Indiana University in 1956.

His general internship was spent at Tampa General Hospital, where he continued his training in General / Cardiovascular Surgery until being drafted into the US Air Force during the Berlin crisis. After attending flight surgeon’s school, he was appointed to the post of Commander of the 838th TAC Hospital, and earned the USAF Flight Surgeon of the Year award in 1961. A highlight of military service involved selection as the medical officer and consultant for the Special Forces HALO (high altitude low opening) parachute project, where he was awarded the US Air Force Air Medal for rescuing a paratrooper entangled in a harness during an open hatch parachute drop at 43,000 feet.

Dr. Tardy completed his residency in Otolaryngology at the University of Illinois in Chicago as the Executive Resident, completing a post-residency Fellowship in Facial Plastic Surgery which led to an offer of an academic position in the department in 1968. Dr. Tardy founded the first facial plastic surgery division within the department, and served as the consultant for the Craniofacial Anomalies Center of the university.During his career he held the title of Professor of Clinical Otolaryngology at the University of Illinois and Indiana University School of Medicine, as well as Instructor at Northwestern University.

Among other professional leadership responsibilities, Dr. Tardy was elected as President of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, President of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, and President of the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.Honorary Fellowships and memberships have been awarded to Dr. Tardy by the Jacques Joseph Society, The Royal College of Medicine of Great Britain, the Australian Society of Otolaryngology, the South African Society of Otolaryngology, the European Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery, the German Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the Austrian Academy of Otolaryngology, the German Society for ENT-Head and Neck Surgery, the Rhinoplasty Society, the Polish Society of Rhinology, the Philippine Society of Otolaryngology, the Brazilian Society Plastic Surgical Society.

Dr. Tardy served as the founder ofFacial Plastic Surgery Monographs, as well as on the editorial boards of the Archives of Otolaryngology, the Laryngoscope, the Annals of Otolaryngology, the AMA Archives of Otolaryngology, the Jugoslavian Journal of Otolaryngology. Academic contributions include the authoring or co-authoring 18 medical textbooks, over 160 scientific articles.He has participated at over 400 venues as guest professor/faculty lecturer at universities world-wide. During his years of practice and teaching Dr. Tardy was regularly cited as one of the “Best Doctors in America” in Chicago magazine, Harpers Bazaar, Town and Country and Good Housekeeping.

In 2005, the inaugural M. Eugene Tardy, MD Lectureship in Facial Plastic Surgery and the Humanities was established at the University of Illinois, held in conjunction with the Department of Otolaryngology’s Alumni Day. Dr. Tardy is married to Martha Heindel Tardy, with three daughters and seven grandchildren.

Dr. Burton J. Soboroff, a beloved physician and teacher in the UIC Otolaryngology Department, established the endowment that makes this Lectureship and Resident Research Symposium possible. His dedication to this department as well as the practice of Otolaryngology will be remembered for years to come. It is an honor for us to have this day to recognize the contributions of this great individual.

Dr. Soboroff was educated at Northwestern University where he was Phi Beta Kappa, and received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1938. He attended Northwestern University Medical School , receiving his M.D. degree in 1942.
Dr. Soboroff then interned at Cook County Hospital from 1941-43; Residency at the Eye and Ear Infirmary at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and Cook County Hospital from 1946-1949 and Residency in Head and Neck Surgery at Hines VA Hospital in 1949-1951. He served in the Air Force Medical Corps from 1943-46.

He became a Senior Attending in the Department starting in 1951 and was Interim Department Head in 1975-76 and 1977-79. After his retirement in 1988, at the age of 70, he held an Emeritus position in this department until he passed away in 2004. The Burton J. Soboroff Lectureship was established in 2001 and continues to be funded through gifts from former residents, colleagues, friends and admirers. We honor Dr. Soboroff and his contributions through this Lectureship.