Dr Ross McIntire, otolaryngologist, and his care of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The role that otolaryngologist Ross McIntire, MD, played in the care of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States, was documented by reviewing primary source material pertaining to the relationship of McIntire and Roosevelt. This included material from various archives including the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library at Hyde Park, New York; United States National Archives; and numerous autobiographies and diaries. McIntire's belief in the value of confidentiality and to provide information only on a need-to-know basis is consistent with the strategy that he had devised earlier for protecting his patient's privacy. In the context of his time and his position, Dr McIntire served his patient and his country well by making appropriate medical and wise personal judgments. The career of Dr Ross T. McIntire, otolaryngologist and personal physician to the 32nd president of the United States, engenders a sense of honor to our profession.