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Dr. Hobart Wiltse and his wife, Margaret, pose next to two of the 19 wildlife photographs he donated to the UNMC Department of Pediatrics. |
Dr. Wiltse, who retired in 2002 after 37 years on the faculty, has continued his tradition of giving back to UNMC by recently donating 19 of his favorite photographs to the department of pediatrics.
The photographs, which feature 18 photos of animals and one plant shot, have been hung in the main hallway of the pediatrics department on the fifth floor of University Tower.
“They really liven up the department,” said Tancy Ellis, a pediatric nurse who worked with Dave Ludwig, a maintenance mechanic technician for The Nebraska Medical Center, to get the photos hung. “Dr. Wiltse is such a wonderful man. He’s always looking for ways to give back to the medical center. We are truly appreciative of his generosity.”
During his career, Dr. Wiltse focused on caring for children with inherited metabolic disorders. For 25 years (1969-1994) he oversaw the eight-week clerkship program for the third-year medical students and the electives program for fourth-year medical students.
He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1953 and earned his medical degree (1958) and Ph.D. in biochemistry (1965) from UNMC. Dr. Wiltse was instrumental in pushing through mandatory newborn testing in Nebraska to detect metabolic disorders.
In 2000, the Hobart Wiltse Center for the Study of Metabolic Disorders at Children’s Hospital was funded by grateful parents, Dan and Lisa Koch, for Dr. Wiltse’s care of their son Michael. This center has become an international facility providing clinical care, professional education and research in pediatric metabolic disorders.
A world traveler, Dr. Wiltse’s wildlife photo collection includes photos taken in Antarctica, Costa Rica, the Galapagos Islands, California, Colorado and even his own back yard. His travels have been enhanced with his ability to speak three foreign languages — German, Russian and Italian. His love of nature also can be seen in the 175 rose bushes he has at his Omaha home.
With the exception of four years (1964 to 1968) when he was doing his pediatric fellowship training at Johns Hopkins University and the UCLA School of Medicine, Dr. Wiltse spent his entire career at UNMC. A Falls City, Neb., native, Dr. Wiltse served as acting chairman of the department of pediatrics from 1975 to 1976, was assistant dean for curriculum for the UNMC College of Medicine (1976-79), and was interim director of the Munroe-Meyer Institute (1982-83).