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Martin Marc Cummings
Martin Marc Cummings (1920-2011), MD, was a medical educator, physician, scientific administrator. Highly respected in all these disciplines, he made significant contributions to medical informatics and librarianship. As Director of the National Library of Medicine from 1964 to 1984. During his tenure, Dr. Cummings guided National Library of Medicine, the world’s largest National Institute of Health, into the age of technology and significantly while broadening its mission.

Biography
Cummings was born in Camden, New Jersey on September 7, 1920. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Bucknell University in 1941 and his doctorate in medicine from Duke University in 1944. His medical research interests included the treatment of sarcoidosis and tuberculosis. In 1946 Cummings completed a U.S. Public Health Service internship and residency at the Boston Marine Hospital.

In 1949 Cummings joined the U.S. Veterans Administration's Department of Medicine and Surgery. He served from 1949 to 1953 as Chief of the Tuberculosis Section and Director of the Tuberculosis Research Laboratory at the V.A.'s Lawson General in Chamblee, Georgia. In 1953 he became Director of Research Services at the V.A.’s Central Office in Washington D.C., serving until 1959.

In 1961 Cummings accepted the position of Chief of the Office of International Research at the National Institutes of Health serving until 1963. Over the next year he served as Associate Director for Research Grants before becoming the Director of the National Library of Medicine in 1964.

As Director of the National Library of Medicine, Cummings embraced technology to improve the services offered by the Library. He oversaw the improvement of Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (MEDLARS) and developed new programs such as the Extramural Programs, Regional Library Network, Specialized Information Services, and the Toxicology Program. In addition, Cummings focused on gaining authority and funds for a Research and Development program which culminated on May 22, 1980 with the dedication of the Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications. During his tenure at the Library his research interests included John Shaw Billings and William Osler, National Library of Medicine programs and library operations, and biomedical communications, history, and administration.

Cummings retired as Director on September 30, 1983 but immediately assumed new duties as Director Emeritus.

Awards and Honors
Cummings received over thirty awards, fellowships, and honorary degrees. Awards include Rockefeller Public Service Award, Modern Medicine Distinguished Achievement Award, and the Abraham Horowitz Award of the Pan American Health Organization. He was a fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics, the Medical Library Association, and the Royal College of Physicians. In addition, he received honorary degrees from Bucknell University, University of Nebraska, Emory University, Georgetown University, the Karolinska Institute, the Academy of Medicine of Lodz, Poland, and Duke University.

Dr. Cummings passed away on September 1, 2011