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Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

The Crowe Society

Allan Shikani

The Crowe Society is named for Dr. Samuel J. Crowe, the first Director of the Johns Hopkins Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, who led the department from its establishment in 1914 until his retirement in 1952. Recruited from neurosurgery to otolaryngology by Dr. William Halsted, Crowe built the department into what is credited as the first modern otolaryngology clinic in the United States. And he built it to teach. In 1924 he established the country’s first human temporal bone laboratory, introducing temporal bone training to the United States — a model that has evolved into a core requirement of otolaryngology residency education. We are the department’s alumni association: the residents, fellows, faculty, and research scientists who trained or taught at Hopkins. Our work centers, as Crowe’s did, on the Department’s trainees and the careers ahead of them. Learn more.

Our Purpose

First and foremost, the Society supports the Department’s trainees. We back their research and their education on the simple logic that a department is judged by the clinicians and scientists it sends out into the world. From there, our purpose widens: to advance the art and science of otolaryngology through teaching, research, and community, while fostering enduring connections among our alumni, faculty, residents, and fellows.

Membership

Membership is open to every graduate of the department, to its current and former faculty, and to its fellows, including those holding adjunct and volunteer faculty appointments. Graduates from all of the department’s programs are welcome as associate members, including current and former research scientists. Residents are enrolled when they begin in the department. Membership carries no dues. The Society is supported by the generosity of alumni, and these gifts support our mission, beginning with resident education.

Connect on OneHop

The Crowe Society is moving to OneHop, Johns Hopkins’ alumni networking platform, and we’d like you to join us there. We’ve created a private group for the Hopkins Otolaryngology community: one place to stay connected with the people you trained alongside and to meet fellow alumni you might not have crossed paths with at Hopkins.

Once you've joined OneHop, you'll have access to:

  • Reconnect with co-residents, co-fellows, colleagues, and faculty
  • Network across the 400-plus members of the Crowe Society
  • Explore opportunities for research collaboration
  • Volunteer to mentor and advise current Hopkins Otolaryngology trainees
  • Post a job opening, or tap colleagues to help find your next opportunity
  • Share what’s new with you, professionally or personally

Request access to the private Crowe Society group

Any questions, please contact Jaki Bacon at [email protected]

Lectures and Events

The department hosts educational lectures throughout the year for residents, faculty, and Crowe Society members. The Society itself gathers each year, in conjunction with the annual meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. Learn more.

The Executive Committee

The Society’s affairs are run by volunteers elected from its own membership, serving fixed terms on behalf of everyone the Society represents. The committee comprises the President, President-Elect, and Secretary-Treasurer, two Members-at-Large, a Fellow Representative, a Resident Representative, and the Director of the Department.

2025 - 2027 Executive Committee

  • President: Julie Winston, M.D.
  • President-Elect: Patrick Hennessey, M.D.
  • Secretary-Treasurer: Desi Schoo, M.D.
  • Members-at-Large: Marc Bennett, M.D., and Shelly McQuone, M.D.
  • Fellow Representative: Zahra Sayyid, M.D.
  • Resident Representative: Andy Ding, M.D.
  • Department Director: Maie St. John, M.D., Ph.D.

Crowe Constitution Bylaws

The Crowe Society constitution and bylaws are available via downloadable PDF.

Alumni Spotlights

Learn More

The following sources were cited in the history of the Crowe Society. Use them to learn more about the Crowe Society.

  1. Johns Hopkins Medicine. “About Us — Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery.” Department history; Crowe as first director, 1914.
  2. Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives, Johns Hopkins. “Samuel James Crowe Collection.”
  3. Johns Hopkins Medicine. “Major Renovation Upholds Johns Hopkins’ Status as Leader in Otolaryngology Surgical Training” (2024).
  4. American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, AAO-HNS Bulletin. “Simulation in Otology: New Options for Education and Training.”