Dr. Winterfield was a clinical scientist who was passionate about solving disease problems in poultry. He had an intuitive sense of viral pathogens and was highly successful in isolating and propagating them in embryonating chicken eggs. With a small laboratory, just 12 isolator units, and two isolation rooms, his ability to solve key problems with sparse facilities was a lesson not lost to those who passed through his laboratory.

 

Two important attributes were his view of the necropsy room as the gateway to discovery, and the strategic design of experiments. Although a professor, he had an entrepreneurial perspective on virus isolation, characterization, and modification to become a vaccine candidate. His work was focused and efficient. The most sophisticated pieces of equipment in his laboratory were the egg incubator and the -20⁰ freezer. The rest was rudimentary by today’s standards: fertile eggs, wax pencil, petri dishes, pipettes, nutrient broth with antibiotics, scissors and forceps, a light to candle eggs, and an ash tray for his cigar. All conversation in the lab ceased while he examined the eggs and harvested fluids.  

 

Dr. Winterfield was a man of forthright opinion, which he enjoyed sharing with the Dean and administrators in general.  He once advised a surly faculty colleague to enroll in a Dale Carnegie Course. He believed the profession had erred in requiring an advanced degree and specialty certification beyond the DVM degree.  He learned science from practical experience, and was not convinced that additional time in the classroom was necessarily beneficial.

 

This became an issue when the Purdue Graduate School denied his application to direct PhD students because his terminal degree was a DVM. His successful appeal was likely strengthened by being the 1970 recipient of the P.P. Levine Award for the Outstanding Manuscript in Avian Diseases (characterization of the immune response to infectious bursal disease virus). Just four years later, his efforts were vindicated when his PhD student, Aly Fadly, was in turn awarded the P.P. Levine Award (1974, for isolation and characterization of the inclusion body hepatitis virus). Dr. Winterfield generously provided experience for veterinary and graduate students, reflected in the many manuscripts that carry their names as co-authors. Many established successful careers in poultry production, diagnostics, and research. He taught in part by example. When it was time to write a manuscript, he would announce late in the afternoon that he would be writing a paper the following day. The next morning, he would sit at the table in the laboratory surrounded by his lab notes, a stack of journals, and write in cursive using a pencil and a legal pad. He would hand the completed manuscript to the typist when leaving work that day.

 

He came to work at 7:30 each morning and left the building just before 5:00 PM. He went home to watch the news on television while peddling his exercise bicycle and enjoying a martini. He didn’t work evenings or weekends. He often said that when he retired he would not continue to work and was true to his word. Dr. Winterfield loved a good time and never missed the morning and afternoon coffee breaks, at which he would dispense advice on careers, investments, relationships, and rearing children. He was well-liked because of his sense of humor, infectious laughter and big smile, and all the while puffing on a big cigar. He lived life fully and benefitted many through his wealth of knowledge, generous spirit, and high standards.