About CSSH
Founded to advance the field of hand surgery through education, research, and professional collaboration.
Our Heritage
The Chicago Society for Surgery of the Hand (CSSH) was founded in 1978 after Sidney Blair recognized the need to connect hand surgeons working in isolation across Chicago-area institutions. Alongside William Stromberg and Robert Schenck, he established a regional society to foster collaboration, education, and improved patient care. Early meetings were held at the Union League Club with a small group of prominent surgeons to guide membership and leadership. Key figures like John Bell, Bob Schenck, and William Dawson helped shape the society's early governance. Over the years, CSSH introduced several prestigious lectureships, including the Stromberg, Blair, and Schenck Lectureships to honor pioneers and promote clinical education across the region.
As the society expanded, so did its influence, drawing members from greater Chicago, Rockford, Peoria, and northern Indiana. In 2008, Bob Schenck was named Historian, and the executive board structure evolved to support long-term leadership. By 2017, modernization efforts were underway, including incorporation, and a dedicated website. That same year, the Stromberg Lectureship was renamed the Mason-Stromberg Lectureship to recognize both Stromberg and Michael Mason. The society remains indebted to Bob Schenck for decades of leadership and to Patricia "Dru" Gilbert, whose stewardship helped preserve CSSH's history and guide its financial health into the modern era.
Our Founders
William B. Stromberg Jr., MD ("Stromie")
Earned his MD from Northwestern University and began teaching at Northwestern Medical School in 1958 alongside Doctors Koch, Mason, and Bell. A specialist in both adult and pediatric hand surgery, he was known as an outstanding teacher and a valued friend. In 1984, he served as the third president of the Chicago Society for Surgery of the Hand.
Sidney J. Blair, MD
Born in Chicago and is credited with the original idea for the Chicago Society for Surgery of the Hand, later serving as its fourth president in 1985. He was a past chairman of the Loyola Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation and was recognized as an expert in compression disorders of the peripheral nerves and the prevention of industrial hand injuries.
Robert R. Schenck, MD
Born in Elmwood, Illinois in 1931 and served as the fifth president of the Chicago Society for Surgery of the Hand in 1986. He was a long-standing treasurer and historian of the organization. As Professor Emeritus in the Hand Surgery Section of the Department of Plastic Surgery at Rush University, he is known for pioneering dynamic traction techniques for intraarticular finger fractures.