A Trojan Centenarian Looks Forward

The cheerful embodiment of “100 years young,” Paul Beigelman MD ’48 could teach a master class about healthy aging. In conversation, he expresses curiosity and enthusiasm about a wide range of subjects—from antiquarian books to his alma mater, the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

“My experience as a student was marvelous,” he says. “The professors really seemed to enjoy teaching. You worked hard, but you enjoyed it.”

The son of M.N. Beigelman, a brilliant ophthalmologist who served as the chief of staff of Cedars of Lebanon Hospital (today’s Cedars-Sinai), Paul entered USC’s medical school in 1943, at the height of World War II. Although most of the medical school faculty were away in the military, several professors made a strong impression on Paul.

“One of my favorites memories is being taught by John Mehl, the chairman of the biochemistry department. He had decency and integrity.”

Another professor, Helen Martin MD ’34, a pioneer in diabetes care, inspired Paul to specialize in the metabolic disease and public health. He later gained invaluable, hands-on experience while interning at the Los Angeles County Hospital.

“Every third or fourth night you were on admitting. If you got to bed at 5:00 a.m., it was considered a personal victory,” he explains with a chuckle. “But it was the ideal way to get firsthand exposure to all aspects of care.”

Over the course of his illustrious career, Paul went on to work for several prestigious universities, including Harvard and Stanford, as well as the National Institutes of Health.

USC, however, was never very far from his thoughts. In 1956 he accepted a position as an assistant professor of diabetes at the Keck School, where he focused on teaching, patient care, and his true passion: research, both clinical and basic. After retiring as a professor emeritus in 1990, Paul volunteered for the Keck School until 1996. In 2015 he was inducted into the USC Half Century Trojans Hall of Fame.

A Trojan who “bleeds cardinal and gold,” Paul was married to his late wife, Irene MSW ’57, for 59 years. To honor her memory, he has endowed two scholarships: one at the Keck School, the other for students at her alma mater, the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. A self-described bibliophile, he also donated a collection of rare books from the late Middle Ages to USC Libraries.

Today, 34 years after retiring, Paul sounds like a man decades younger when he talks about the Keck School.

“USC is going full blast on something I really wanted when I was a student: MD/PhD degrees. The MD comes from USC, while you can pursue your doctorate at either USC or CalTech. With this degree, we should bound forward!”

For Paul, teaching in conjunction with research is essential for training the physicians of tomorrow—the “Nobel Prize winners of the future,” in his words.

With that in mind, Paul has made an estate gift to establish and support the Paul M. Beigelman, MD Endowed Chair in Research at the Keck School.

“USC has a forward-looking view of advancing medicine,” he says. “Research plays an important role in that. I’m determined to do my bit to keep USC where it belongs in the top ranks.”