A Tribute George Papanicolaou (1883–1962)

Entering the new millennium, we as cytopathologists, inherit the legacy of one man, George Papanicolaou, to whom we should pay tribute. His struggle with the world inside him and surrounding him, his vision and the strange co-existence of sensitivity and toughness to reach his goal, are characteristics of his greatness. Exfoliative cytology, the new speciality that he gave to medicine, is the result of his efforts. He opened up a field of surprising originality in scientific research and attained an impressive method of early diagnosis of cancer. Perhaps one of his greatest achievements was the cervical smear test. It is probably the most successful cancer screening technique of the 20th century; it is so successful and effective that on a global scale, cervical cancer is largely a disease of women who have not been screened adequately. George Papanicolaou was born in the year 1883 in Kymi, a small town in Greece. He became a legend in his own time and an example to all those who knew him. His father, a man of strong character, was primarily a doctor but was also active in politics and became mayor of Kymi as a result. His mother was distinguished for her beauty, culture and social status. He was the third in a family of four, two boys and two girls; he was a charismatic boy, handsome, clever, sensitive and he had a happy childhood. After basic school he transferred to Athens to high school where he also attended French, German and violin lessons. In 1898 at the age of 15 he was accepted as a student of Medicine at the University of Athens and after 6 years he graduated with honours. As a young man George was attractive: slender, of medium height, polite in manners, elegantly dressed and very capable in discussion. He believed that man should surpass himself in order to excel and must expect to make sacrifices. He was a perfectionist with great perseverance. After graduating he went to Germany for further studies. Leaving his family, friends, and country was hard for him, but he had to be strong and look to the future. He stayed in Germany for 3 years (1907–10) studying in Iena, Freiburg and Munich. He had made up his mind to dedicate himself to biological research, which he found captivating. He completed his PhD in the Institute of Zoology in Munich, one of the best research centres of the world at the time, where he acquired the love for systematic methodology and research.