Index
Scholarships
The Michael P. Kaplan Scholarship
The Michael P. Kaplan Scholarship was established by the estate of Michael P. Kaplan, Class of 1957.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Michael P. Kaplan majored in Chemistry and Mathematics at Hamilton, earning Phi Beta Kappa honors. On the Hill, he participated in the Debate Club, Outing Club, French Club, Biology Club, and ski team.
He developed an interest in transplantation in Medical School at the University of Rochester, which further developed during his residency at Vanderbilt University working alongside a renowned kidney transplant specialist.
Time in the Air Force in France allowed him to further develop his surgical skills. Returning to Vanderbilt, his work earned him an NIH Fellowship to study tissue typing and transplant immunology.
He then developed a renal transplant program at Rutgers University, coordinating patient recruitment, encouraging living donors, establishing tissue typing, organ sharing agreements, and writing protocols. After New Jersey cut the Rutgers budget, he became affiliated with Wayne State University, co-directing its kidney transplant and general surgery programs, plus managing the medical student teaching programs until his retirement in 2003.
Dr. Kaplan developed a reputation as an expert in the field of transplantation and was often called upon to provide commentary to media outlets.
He died on February 20, 2020, survived by two sons. A stone bench on campus proclaims, “Michael P. Kaplan ’57, a disciplined and righteous mind.”
Please note: The named scholarships profiled on these pages are awarded as part of the College’s need-based financial aid packages. These funds help ensure the Hamilton Promise of keeping education affordable through meeting a student’s full demonstrated financial need.
Materials published here were diligently researched and written by students who strived for historical accuracy.
