Dr P.P. Levine was a giant in the field of avian medicine. He distinguished himself in scientific achievement, in the training of avian pathologists (e.g., Fabricant, Sevoian, Calnek, Witter), in leadership at national and international levels, and in service to his profession.

 

Born in New York City, USA, he was educated at the City College of New York (BS, 1927) and Cornell University (MS, DVM, 1932; PhD, 1937). His career was at Cornell where he ultimately became the founding Chairman of the Department of Avian Diseases in 1961. Upon retirement in 1973, he was appointed Emeritus Professor.

 

Dr Levine’s scientific career was strictly with avian diseases. His coccidiosis research is exemplified by his initiation of the use of sulfonamides for the control of the disease. The control of this disease was important in facilitating the mass production of poultry. He developed the “egg-dipping” technique with antibiotics for the eradication of mycoplasmas to control chronic respiratory disease. He first described duck virus hepatitis and developed control methods which saved the duck industry on Long Island. Altogether, he authored or co-authored more than 70 scientific papers. He was truly selfless and promoted his students, young staff, and colleagues while standing in the background.

 

Internationally, he was known for teaching and organizing teaching facilities in Mexico and South America and he was a consultant for USAID and for FAO in Israel, Peru and Mexico.

 

He was a teacher with few peers, and his speaking ability was to be admired. Perhaps his crowning achievement was his almost single-handed initiation and nurturing of the journal Avian Diseases in 1957. He was later named Honorary Lifetime Editor. Dr. Levine received many honors and awards including an honorary degree at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. He helped organize the American Association of Avian Pathologists (AAAP) and he served as President of both the AAAP (1961-1962) and the WVPA (1969-1973).

 

In all he did, Dr Levine held to high standards. His imprint was left on the Cornell University campus, on New York State, on the nation and on the world.